Time Will Tell
by Charis77
Summary: A series of glimpses into the life of Hannah Shepard, the woman who shaped the heroine of the galaxy. Begins with Hannah's early life and will eventually follow her through the Mass Effect series of games and a little beyond.
1. Friends

Hannah stared languidly at the snow piled more than a foot high above the school steps. In November, winter had howled into Sault Sainte Marie; in December it settled in, a constant, wet blanket. Now that it was January, Hannah just wanted it to leave. The never-ending blankness of white and the constant grey skies turned the world into a colorless existence for months on end. This morning, she'd decided it was time to rebel. She'd come to school decked out in red—red sweater, red pants, red earrings, not to mention her own natural red hair. Perhaps that was why everyone gawked at her as she climbed the narrow tunnel carved out of the snow on the steps. She gleamed red in a world of white.

Hannah ignored any snide comments sent her way. She pranced to her locker, dropped off all but her English books, then sauntered to English class. She _hated_ English. _Classics and writing, the two subjects I couldn't hate more_, she complained inwardly. When she entered the classroom, she observed Mrs. Gallo at the lectern, already punching in the code for today's lesson. Hannah glanced at the screen at the front of the room where a broad title proclaimed, "Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_." _Even better_, she thought, _a romance. Please gag me now._

Hannah tromped over to the table she had sat at last term. Each table had room enough for two people, but the chair next to her remained empty all last semester. Everyone had a partner but her and she was just fine with that. It wasn't that she didn't like people; they just didn't seem to like her.

Hannah sat down, opened her bag and pulled out her data pad. She clicked it on, her attention immediately drawn to a flashing phrase mimicking Mrs. Gallo's lecture title. Her finger hovered over the title, then defiantly tapped the tab labeled "Private Reading" instead. Up popped her latest reading material. Two minutes before the chime sounded for class to start, a hushed twittering passed over the room. She looked up to see what was causing the commotion. A boy had just walked in the door. He was obviously new to the school. He was tall and lanky and completely nondescript. Hannah turned her eyes back to her reading. Unlike everyone else, she didn't care _who_ he was.

"I guess I can take this seat? It's the only one open."

Hannah forced her eyes off her data pad. The boy stood gazing down at her. "I guess." She began reading again. So, now she had a partner. The question was, was he an idiot? Would he contribute to making her grades better or would she be forced to simply put up with him during partner projects? She figured time would tell.

The chime sounded. Mrs. Gallo tapped the lectern and began her preliminary introduction to _Romeo and Juliet_. Hannah knew she should go back to the school tab on her data pad, but she already knew who Shakespeare was—some guy that authored a lot of plays a long time ago that didn't matter anymore. _The world is so much more exciting now than in Mr. Shakespeare's time_, she thought ruefully. She kept her data pad open to her own private reading.

Several minutes passed by then she heard a whisper next to her. "You don't like Shakespeare?"

She turned her head to the boy. Why did he care? But the look on his face was friendly rather than condescending.

"Not really."

"It's good stuff once you learn to read it."

"I can read it just fine. It's just stupid."

"Have you ever seen one of his plays in person?"

Hannah shook her head.

"It's much better. Lots of action, sword fighting and stuff."

Hannah didn't see how watching a bunch of people spout Shakespeare would all of a sudden change her opinion. She shrugged, sending the message "So what?"

"Seriously, you've _got_ to see it sometime."

"Mister…" Mrs. Gallo's voice raised several notches. Hannah looked up. Mrs. Gallo's stern face was directed towards her new partner. The teacher paused, looking over the student list on her data pad. "Mister…Shepard," she said once she'd found the right name. "It might be wise not to get off on the wrong foot at your new school, don't you agree?"

"Yes, ma'am," the boy next to her answered confidently. He said it like a soldier saluting a general. Mrs. Gallo resumed her lecture. The boy turned his attention to his own data pad, this time following along and taking notes when appropriate. When the chime sounded, Hannah left without a second thought regarding her new partner.

* * *

After math, a subject she excelled at, and foreign languages, she'd chosen Chinese to begin with, Hannah found herself at lunch. She squirreled herself away in the atrium—a place as anti-winter as it could get. The atrium maintained a constant 75 degree temperature and sported trees from all over North America. As she ate, she continued to read her data pad. Several other students also occupied the atrium, but they rarely talked. They understood they all mutually wanted peace and quiet. So when she heard a voice, she was startled.

"For a girl who hates English, you read a lot." It was the new boy's voice.

"I don't hate reading," Hannah spoke sharply, flashing an annoyed scowl at the boy, "I just hate Shakespeare." She paused, then added. "And most other fiction."

"Can I eat with you?"

"Why?" No boys ever wanted to eat with her.

"I don't feel comfortable with anyone else. There were these girls that wanted me to sit with them, but I didn't like the hungry looks in their eyes like they wanted to eat me for lunch."

Hannah couldn't help but giggle. "Sadie Sellars and her posse."

"Oh, that's the one girl's name? Blond, tall, skinny?"

Hannah nodded.

"She's pretty," the boy admitted, sitting down next to her on the bench.

Hannah sighed. "You boys are all the same, especially when your raging hormones turn on at this age."

The boy laughed aloud. "Like yours don't. You aren't any older than me. We're in the same grade. Thirteen?"

"Almost."

"Almost? How old are you?" The boy stuffed half a sandwich into his mouth.

"You need table manners."

The boy smiled while he chewed. "Grams says that, too." He swallowed. "How old are you?" he repeated his question.

"Twelve."

"Twelve? Really? You don't look it."

She shrugged, wondering again why he cared.

"You smart, then?"

"Why do you care?" Hannah voiced her inner thought.

He didn't directly answer her question. "You must be smart since they put you ahead a grade."

Hannah didn't want to talk about this. The answer to his inquiry was one of the reasons her peers didn't take to her. She _was_ smart, too smart.

"Okay, look," she finally stated, ready for the boy's rejection, "I'm a nerd, a geek, a person who had the unfortunate gift of intellect poured down on her." She took a breath, then went on. "And let me clarify, I hate fiction, and I could get the grades if I wanted to, but I don't want to. It's boring."

The boy put his hands up. "Okay, okay. Got it."

Hannah figured the boy's next move would be standing up and leaving, but he stayed put on the bench, just chewing a banana and gazing at her. Hannah looked away, uncomfortable, and tried to focus on her data pad and ignore the boy's eyes focused on her.

"I came to sit with you because you seem like the only interesting person I've met in this place," the boy spoke again, quietly. Hannah turned from her reading, her curiosity peaked. _She_ was interesting?

"I saw what you were reading," he explained. "Arthur's _Luna, Mars, Saturn and the Contemporary Age of Exploration_."

"You've read it?" Hannah sat up straighter, her eyes fixed on the boy.

He bobbed his head, downing the rest of the banana. "I want to live somewhere out there someday, in space."

"Me, too," Hannah stammered. Most of the other kids in her school thought she was crazy. They didn't understand why she had a burning desire to get off a planet so well suited to the needs of humanity.

"My dad's in space," the boy went on. "He's actually on assignment now, working on the construction of Gagarin Station."

_No way_, Hannah mouthed. Space explorers had been hailing the station all over the news, explaining and touting its mission to create faster-than-light travel.

"He sends pictures when he can. I'll have to show them to you sometime."

"Great!" Hannah exclaimed. Then a thought occurred to her. "I guess you don't get to see him often." She knew a trip out that far and back still took a long time.

The boy nodded his head and she detected sadness. "I live with my grandmother," the boy said.

"Oh," she returned, not knowing what that meant about his parents exactly, but not having the guts to pry farther.

"Have you read _An Argument for the Unequivocal Existence of Aliens_?" The boy asked, perking up.

"Yes!"

"So, you think we'll meet them someday?"

Hannah eagerly launched into her opinion on the matter, chatting away as the boy finished his lunch. When the chime rang announcing the return to class, she reluctantly stood, not wanting the conversation to end.

"I have Basics in Aeronautic Engineering next," she informed the boy. This was the one class she'd been waiting for all day.

The boy's eyes sparkled. "Me, too!" They walked down the hall together, Hannah directing the boy towards their classroom. When they walked through the classroom door, the boy pointed to two seats next to each other in the front. Hannah took the one on the right, with the boy sitting on her left. As Hannah reached into her bag for her data pad, the boy held out his right hand.

"By the way, I'm Daniel Shepard."

Hannah shook his hand. "Hannah. Hannah Collier."

* * *

For the next whole term, Hannah and Daniel were inseparable. Rumors flew around the school regarding their relationship, but Hannah blew them off as ridiculous speculation. Daniel was more perturbed than she was by the gossip mill. She learned early on that he hated being misunderstood. He couldn't stand people thinking something about him that wasn't true. But it didn't curb his desire to spend time with her. Wherever she went, he went with her. No one else shared his own love of science and space like she did.

When summer came and school let out, Daniel convinced his grandmother to let him go along on the Collier family camping trip. They took a large speeder out to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Park, right next to Lake Superior. Daniel had never been camping, so everything was new to him. He didn't quite comprehend why people would chose to use rudimentary tools to camp (making an actual fire by hand, cooking over it and fishing in the lake), but he played along good-naturedly.

The best part came when Hannah's dad pulled the trailer attached to the speeder into the water and unhooked two Aqua Racers from the back. Daniel had also never used an Aqua Racer, a fact that shocked Hannah. When the two Racers were set out on the water, Hannah's mom and dad took one. Hannah climbed onto the front of hers and Daniel straddled the seat behind her.

"Hold on to my waist," Hannah told Daniel, "Or you'll slide off."

"Right." He linked his arms around her waist and she took off on the Racer. They skimmed over the water, Hannah whooping into the wind. The Racer zigzagged and circled in various patterns under her control. After a while, she glanced back to find Daniel grinning, the wind whipping through his tousled dishwater blond hair.

"I kind of imagine this is what it's like to zoom through space," she yelled back.

"Space is a vacuum," Daniel protested.

"I know. But I can imagine it like this, can't I?"

"I guess you can."

"There's a small island out here, not far from shore. Want to go see it?"

"Sure."

Hannah drew up close to her mom and dad on the other Racer and pointed to the island. Her dad gave her a thumbs up and she took off towards the small chunk of ground peeping above the water. The island was peppered with pine trees. She slowed down when they got close to the shore and let the Racer ground itself. Daniel let go his hold on her and they jumped off. They spent some time combing the shore, pointing out various water life and turning over rocks to see what would appear. Eventually they settled under a pine tree. The world was quiet except for the occasional twittering of birds in the trees.

"Hannah, do you ever think about your future?" Daniel asked her.

Hannah twirled a stick in her hand. "All the time. You know that. I'm gonna get into space. It's gonna happen. It's my destiny to do something great out there."

"Yeah, I know. But I meant, thinking about getting married and having children and stuff?"

"Never. You sound like a girl, Daniel. Like Sadie and her bunch, always making up the names of their husbands and children."

"Well, I'm not Sadie, trust me. It's just weird sometimes to think that in the future we'll be getting married and having families."

"Well, _I'm_ not getting married. I'm gonna be a single space engineer. I don't need a man in my life."

"What about _me_ in your life?"

"Yeah, you're okay," Hannah consented. "But I'm _not_ going to marry you."

Daniel chuckled. "I didn't mean get married. I just hope you don't resent me _right now_."

Hannah flung the stick in Daniel's direction and he caught it deftly. "You're weird. Why are you even thinking about getting married and having kids? You're fourteen." Daniel's birthday had been less than a month ago.

"I don't know. Just thinking. I think I'd like to get married someday, so I'm not alone. But…" Hannah realized Daniel had gotten quite serious. His head lowered.

"But what?" she prompted.

"I live with Grams because my parents…they divorced. That's why I never see dad. I think that's why he left for Gagarin Station. And mom dropped me off at Grams cause she couldn't take care of me by herself. She's never been exactly stable job wise."

Hannah took a breath. Daniel had never explained his parents before and she'd never asked. She wondered here and there, but never wanted to rock the boat with her best friend.

"Sorry," Hannah muttered, not even knowing if she uttered the right response for the situation.

"Yeah," Daniel mumbled, but he looked up again, his hazel eyes intently gazing in her direction. "I guess I wonder if getting married is even worth it, you know."

"My parents are still married. Maybe that means there's hope for marriage?"

"Maybe," Daniel answered, looking up, considering her "evidence."

"Anyway," Hannah went on, "Just don't get married if you're worried about it. Look at Romeo and Juliet. Their relationship was horrible. Stupid idiots, killing themselves over love. That's just dumb. They could have saved themselves the trouble by not falling in love in the first place."

Daniel smiled widely. "I still haven't convinced you to like Shakespeare, have I?"

Hannah shrugged. "I don't know. _Macbeth_ wasn't bad. All that murdering and stuff. More action."

"Your dad's waving at us," Daniel informed Hannah. Hannah could see her dad on the other Racer, waving them in. She stood and moved towards the shore.

"So, you gonna try piloting back?" she asked when they pushed the Racer back into the water.

Daniel jumped onto the front seat. "Yep!"

"Good!" Hannah sat in behind her best friend and put her arms around his waist, as he revved the Racer and sped back towards the campsite.

* * *

The summer was just coming to an end when Hannah received the worst news of her young life. School loomed on the horizon, just one week away, when the chime rang at the Collier family home. Hannah's dad called her to the door. It was Daniel.

"I'm kind of busy," Hannah told him. "Mom wants me to organize my school supplies." She rolled her eyes, expressing her opinion of her mother's over emphasis on orderliness.

"I really need to talk to you," Daniel implored.

"Mom!" Hannah called out. "Can I take a walk with Daniel? I'll be back soon."

"Just don't be too long!" her mother yelled from the kitchen.

Hannah walked out the door and it slid shut. When they'd strolled far enough away from the house, Hannah looked to her friend.

"What's up?"

"Hang on a sec," he answered. "Let's go over there." He pointed to a local park, mostly deserted at this time of day, a little after dinner time. Hannah followed Daniel to a bench, surrounded on three sides by tall bushes. As he sat, she recognized the heaviness in his eyes. His emotions were transparent to her.

"Something's wrong," she stated. She felt her stomach lurch. She sat down next to him.

Daniel turned somber eyes on her. "Mom's coming to get me. She's taking me to Georgia."

"No!" Hannah shouted loudly. No. She finally had a best friend. This couldn't be happening.

"I'm really sorry, Hannah. I begged her not to come. But she said Grams is getting too old and she's my mom, so I have to."

Hannah felt her eyes sting. She furiously rubbed them, angry at the tears threatening to well up. "But…but…we were gonna train together. Go to space together."

"It might still happen," Daniel tried to reassure her. "I'll write you."

"No you won't," Hannah declared angrily. "People always say that then they never do. They get busy and forget."

"I _will_ write you."

"Yeah, right," Hannah spoke sarcastically. She folded her arms across her chest and slumped against the bench.

"Look, I'm leaving in a couple days and I know your birthday's in three days, so I got you a gift. Here." Daniel shoved a small package into her hands.

Hannah looked down at the gift wrapped in bright red wrapping paper. She tore the paper off slowly, revealing a hinged box. She lifted the lid. Inside was a silver chain with a small object attached. She picked it up and dangled it in the air, taking a closer look. The object was a tiny space rocket.

"Just a reminder that you'll get to space some day. I know you're not really into lots of jewelry and stuff, but, I thought you'd wear this one maybe."

Hannah smiled sadly. She unhooked the chain, then reattached it behind her neck. The rocket moved up and down as she breathed in and out. She looked back at Daniel.

"Thanks," she muttered, grateful, but still unhappy.

"I have one other gift," Daniel said. Hannah gazed at him expectantly. "Don't get mad," he warned her. He leaned over to her and before she knew it, he pressed his lips into hers. She didn't exactly kiss back. She didn't know what to do. At first she felt shocked, then her heart fluttered, then she all of sudden pushed him away forcefully. She stood up quickly.

"I can't believe you just did that, Daniel Shepard!" she admonished angrily.

"I may never see you again. I just had to once. Hannah, I really like you. I mean, _like_ like you."

Hannah shifted back and forth on her feet. No boy had ever _like_ liked her. Ever. Well, not that she knew of. It felt kind of good. Right after that thought a wave of guilt assaulted her. She threw her hands to her mouth.

"Oh my goodness! My parents will freak if they find out I kissed." She turned this way and that, trying to see if anyone had observed the kiss. "I'm not supposed to date until I'm sixteen!"

Daniel stood up and lightly touched her shoulder. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have."

"Let's just, walk back," Hannah stammered out. When they reached her house, Hannah paused at the end of the drive.

"I'll miss you," she said quietly.

"Wait for me?" Daniel suggested. "Don't date anyone, not even when you turn sixteen?"

"I'm not dating. You know that. I don't need boys!"

"Yeah, yeah, but you might change your mind. Just wait."

"You aren't coming back, so why would I wait anyway."

"Just promise."

"Fine. I promise."

Hannah walked to the door, then turned back and waved as her best friend walked down the street towards his own home. She entered the house.

Hannah waited for months, but no e-mail or letter ever came.


	2. Competition

"Come on, Lieutenant, you have to do it! For the good of the company!"

Hannah sighed loudly, slammed the door to her locker and shot an annoyed glance at the soldier that stood next her. "I don't do competitions!" she exclaimed.

Another soldier, leaning on his own locker directly across from hers, spoke up. "It's just one time, Red. Brody's right. You _have_ to do it."

Hannah pointed a finger at the soldier who had just spoken. "Lucas, I swear, if you call me Red again…"

Lucas held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just slipped out, I promise."

"Uh huh. Right." Hannah's tone revealed her disbelief in Lucas' excuse.

Hannah heard a deep female voice whose accent revealed her African ancestry add her own two cents to the exchange. "You _have_ to do it because they _said_ you would."

"What? You told who I would?"

Brody ran a hand through his dark hair and his blue eyes darted to the left. Lucas opened his locker again, even though he'd already finished and shut it minutes ago. He picked up a comb inside the locker and started to mess with his own muddy brown hair. The female soldier who'd spoken out last took a position next to Hannah, eyeing her meaningfully.

"All right, _boys_," Hannah called out, emphasizing the last word to indicate the infantile nature of her fellow soldiers, "Stop preening and speak straight with me or I'll beat the crap out of you both again."

Lucas put down the comb and turned, but his gaze was directed to the other woman solider. "Riley, we _told_ you it was better not to mention that part."

"Veracity is one of the character traits we've been told to uphold, is it not?" Riley returned, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Who did you tell?" Hannah repeated.

"Look," Brody expounded, his eyes turned back to Hannah, pleading with her. "This guy was just bragging, you know, saying how Alpha Company was first in everything." He paused.

Riley did Brody the courtesy of throwing him under the bus. "And then Brody said they couldn't be first in sharpshooting because we had the number one sharpshooter in the galaxy."

"You said that?" Hannah almost screamed.

"Red, we couldn't let him put down the Hawk," Lucas explained, referring to his company by its nickname. Hannah raised a fist and Lucas hurriedly backpedaled. "Hannah, I mean, Lieutenant, not Red, sorry."

Riley concluded the exposition of the challenge during the companies' combined mess, Hannah having been absent due to her duty roster. "Then the guy from Alpha Company dared them to produce this sharpshooter as _he_ was the number one sharpshooter in the entire Alliance and could beat their sharpshooter's ass back to basic training. And Brody said he'd see the guy over here at 0700 and the Hawk would shove _his_ arrogant ass out an airlock when he lost against our sharpshooter."

"So, you basically hung the Hawk's reputation on my sharpshooting skill? Great."

"But you're the best, Lieutenant, really. This guy's a chump. You've got to kick him where it hurts." Hannah looked exasperatedly at Brody, who explained what he meant. "You know, not literally, just figuratively. Give his manhood a little dressing down."

"That sounds even worse, Ensign," Hannah informed Brody.

"You _do_ have to do it." Hannah was surprised to hear Riley speak up and take Brody and Lucas' side. She turned her eyes on the woman standing straight and tall, her hands now behind her back.

"You, too?"

Riley nodded slightly. "It _is_ for the glory of the Hawk. You have told us on many occasions that the Hawk's reputation should be our foremost concern."

Hannah shook her head. She was backed into a corner and she knew it. "Fine. I'll do it."

Brody whooped and stood up, punching the air. Lucas grinned like a well fed puppy dog.

"But," Hannah added, her pointer finger indicating Brody, then Lucas, "If I lose and the Hawk's reputation is tarnished because of you two, I'll have an appointment with you _both_ in the combat room. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Brody saluted.

Lucas also saluted. "But you won't lose, ma'am."

Hannah sighed. "Dismissed," she said, waving the three away with her hand. They departed, Brody and Lucas eagerly discussing the upcoming competition and Riley following behind them saying nothing, but both her ears in the discussion.

Hannah turned back to her locker and opened it again. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror attached to the inside of the door. Her hair was pulled back tight into a short red ponytail. She was off duty, so she wore only a sleeveless black shirt and her navy blue pants. She rubbed a hand over her hazel eyes, willing away the fatigue of a long day. She reached into her locker and pulled out her data pad, flicking it on. The latest e-mail from her parents still glowed from its screen: _We're so proud of you. Your lifetime has seen so much and you're right on the edge of it. Remember to write when you can. We miss you._ Hannah read the message again, then tabbed over to the news. The first article title caught her attention: "Progress Reported on the Construction of Arcturus Station." Yes, she really was on the edge of change. Arcturus Station floated maybe half a kilometer outside the hull of her ship. Every time she got a chance to look at it, she did, peering at humanity's future.

Hannah looked up from the data pad and her gaze landed on her marksman rifle, her own personal weapon she'd received in honor of her skill. She took a deep breath, reached in and pulled it out, then closed the locker door, heading to the shooting range. She knew she was good, but it didn't hurt to get some more practice in, just to make sure she could win this thing tomorrow.

* * *

Next morning, the shooting range was so crowded with off duty soldiers from the Hawk and Alpha Company that Hannah almost beat a retreat back to her bunk at the sight of it. As always, these competitions between companies had turned into a regular chest pounding exercise. This was the part she hated about the military: the boastful talk that came along with "playing with the boys." Hannah didn't need to waste time puffing her chest out to prove something. In fact, she didn't know _one_ female soldier who did need to. As Hannah stood near the range, steeling herself to go inside, a distinct picture formed in her mind: she remembered back in Michigan, in the spring, when the birds started to mate, the male birds strutted around, flapping wings and dancing, trying to get the females to notice. She'd never seen one female bird respond. The females went right on catching their worms for dinner and ignored the ridiculous male birds. As Hannah looked at the shooting range, she realized most of the soldiers in there were definitely male birds.

Hannah took a breath and walked to the entrance of the range. Brody was waiting for her. He took up a shout as she arrived and all the other soldiers from the Hawk joined in, resulting in a whole lot of caterwauling and boos in return from Alpha Company. Hannah followed Brody to her position at the shooting range.

"Where's my competition?" she asked, scanning the room.

"Down there," Brody pointed.

Hannah couldn't see him clearly for all the men surrounding him, patting him on the back and psyching him up for the contest. She could tell he was tall and that was about it. She didn't care what he looked like. She just wanted to do this thing and get it over with. She turned back to prep her rifle.

"Just take your time," Brody told her. "Don't shoot too quickly. Line it up, take a breath and shoot."

Hannah cocked her head and sent an annoyed looked at the Ensign. "I've been doing this for three years. I've got it down."

"I know, yeah," Brody answered, trying to sound confident. "Just making sure."

"You're trying to calm your own nerves, no matter how much bravado you throw at me," Hannah retorted.

Brody looked chagrinned. "I just don't want you to think I don't think you can do this. I know you can, but…we can't lose."

Hannah smiled assuredly. "Don't worry. We _will_ throw his ass out an airlock."

Brody grinned at her and clapped her on the back, then removed his hand abruptly when she shot him another glare. Hannah was mostly friendly, but he remembered she didn't take kindly to shows of affection that broke the chain of command. He gave her a thumbs up and moved to the side to get out of the way.

Hannah finished preparing her rifle, then glanced once more down the lanes. Now she definitely couldn't get a glimpse of her adversary. He already stood inside one of the range lanes, hidden by the dividers. He occupied lane two, she occupied lane eight. She figured they had been positioned far apart to allow room for each company to fill its own champion's side. She turned her attention back to her rifle, picked it up for a second and traced the line of sight to the target. She placed the rifle back down and put on her suppressor ear muffs, waiting for the signal to shoot. Hannah relaxed in the muted silence afforded through the ear muffs. The pressure of the moment dissolved away. She entered her own world—just herself, her rifle, and the target.

As the Hawk was hosting Alpha Company, Alpha's sharpshooter went first. Hannah trained her eyes on her competition's target, an outline of the top portion of a man affixed to an electronic background. The Alliance didn't want to waste real ammo on target practice, especially way out here. So today, they would be firing baton rounds. The electronic background would score each hit. Hannah perceived the brief ping of a round on the target and the counter next to the target scored the points—a critical headshot.

Hannah picked up her rifle, took a breath, and aimed. In her mind's eye, she saw the target as if it were right in front of her instead of several feet away. To her, there was no distance between her rifle and the target. She pulled the trigger. Also a headshot, dead on. Through the ear muffs, she heard muted shouts of exaltation from the Hawk soldiers present in the range.

And so it went, her opponent would shoot and she followed suit. Every time she matched her competition shot for shot. He _was_ good. So far, their scores tied. The next step was to move the targets farther and farther back until one of them dropped the score. Her ear muffs registered not a sound. The soldiers from both the Hawk and Alpha Company had stopped cheering long ago. It was clear they had two expert, unbeatable marksmen. Each side prayed the other would somehow, on this one day, make a mistake.

Hannah watched the target move to the very back of the range, several meters away. Her competition fired. It was a hit, but a bit too wide, not in the heart as she knew he must have intended. His score tabulated. She could win this thing now. Just one more shot to take.

Hannah put the rifle to her shoulder. As always, she lined up her shot and imagined the target right in front of her. Distance melted away. Her finger jerked the trigger. A perfect shot, right in the heart of the target. Her score popped up, ten points higher than her competition. The contest was over.

Hannah removed her ear muffs and the minute she did so was assaulted by the jubilant cheers of the Hawk. The soldiers mobbed her, patting her back, grasping her shoulders, shaking her hand and chanting "Hawk! Hawk! Hawk!"

Over the din, Hannah heard the loud cursing of her opponent down the way. She didn't feel one bit sorry for him. You brag like an idiot, you'll most likely get your butt handed to you on a platter. Still, she figured for the good of company relations, she should march down there and shake his hand, let him know he really was a good marksman, if not the best.

She pushed through her fellow soldiers, who let her pass and followed in her wake as courtiers escorting a queen to sing her praises. Her competition had his back to her, gesturing angrily. When she stood a few feet from him, she called out.

"No hard feelings?"

He turned and Hannah's stomach dropped. The young man who stood before her was older and bigger, but still sported dishwater blond hair and hazel eyes that mirrored her own. He was more handsome than she remembered all those years ago. The military had beefed him up quite a bit. Even so, his identity was unmistakable—She found herself staring at Daniel Shepard.

Whatever she thought of his physical appearance was lost as emotions from eight years ago swelled back into Hannah's mind. The hurt she'd experienced when he'd kissed her, said he liked her, then left and never sent another word rushed back as raw as if she had felt it yesterday. He'd forgotten her, thrown her off like she meant nothing at all. Looking at him now, she regressed to the state of an enraged, furious, hormonal thirteen-year-old girl.

"Hannah?" Daniel's face registered complete shock.

Hannah lost all control over her own actions. It was like having an out of body experience as she watched her arm swing back and her fist punch him in the face. She didn't stay to gloat over his figure sprawled out on the floor. She stomped over to the door to the range, wanting to get out of the crowd and the noise.

As she left, she heard a member of Alpha Company speaking to Daniel. "What did you do to that woman? Cheat on her or something?"

* * *

Hannah had tromped her way to her favorite spot on the ship, an out of the way window next to engineering. The structure of the ship was such that the spot next to this particular window formed a small cubby, boxed in as it was on three sides by a bulkhead and two diagonal metal beams. From here, Hannah could contemplate the stars and trace the progress of Arcturus Station. Now, she sat and stared and cursed herself for crying. The tears had already dried up, causing uncomfortable itching all over her face. She scratched at her cheek. _You're twenty-one, Hannah Collier_, she chided herself. _Stop acting like a child!_

Hannah tried to push away the memories of the spring term of her eighth grade year and the wonderful summer that followed. She didn't want to conjure up the image of Daniel, first as an awkward middle schooler, now as a grown man, tall, strong and impressive. But she couldn't keep remembrance away, no matter how hard she pushed. Then, her memory came to life as he suddenly intruded upon her in the flesh.

"Can I join you?" Hannah looked up, agitated at the voice that spoke, not only because no one had ever found her here, but because she recognized it—deeper, but his voice nonetheless. Daniel stood next to the window, a bloody tissue pressed to his nose. He hadn't spoken in anger, so she gestured to her right, indicating he was welcome to stay, although she didn't look at him when he sat.

"You've gotten…uh…stronger," Daniel said. "I'm lucky you didn't break it." Hannah didn't respond.

"Are you really mad at me because of something I did when I was a kid?" Daniel spoke, his tone taut with challenge.

Hannah rounded on him. "Yes, genius!"

"Look, I didn't write because…"

"Not only did you not _write_," Hannah exploded, "You didn't visit either. And don't tell me your grandmother moved. That woman was Sault Sainte Marie born and bred and was going to die there."

"She did," Daniel spat out. "Two months after I left."

"Oh," Hannah murmured. "Oh."

Daniel sat with his back against the bulkhead, knees bent, resting his arms on them, the bloody tissue dangling from his hands. "We didn't go back for the funeral because she and mom had a falling out of some kind. I have no idea what it was about."

Hannah felt guilty for bringing up his grandmother, but her anger hadn't died out. "But you could have written."

Daniel took a deep breath. "Mom didn't have good jobs. We had no access to the internet for a while and she didn't even put me in school for the fall term, too tired and lazy to do it. By the time I got back to school, it had been so long, I just…I guess…I don't know, it just felt too long had passed to send anything."

"You have hands. You could have written snail mail."

Daniel snorted derisively. "_No one_ sends mail that way, ever, except for those traditionalists that grouse about how current culture is 'doing away with the ways of the past.'"

"If you'd really cared, you would have made it happen, called or something."

Daniel let out an exasperated breath of air. "Seriously, Hannah, what do you want me to do? Bow at your feet? Tell you what a louse I am? Let you pummel me to death? What do you want?"

Hannah folded her arms over her chest. "A simple apology would suffice."

"Okay. I'm sorry. Sorry I didn't keep up with you. I was fourteen!"

Hannah blinked her eyes. _Curse tears and human emotions!_ Hannah screamed inside. She brushed a hand over her face.

"Are you...You're not…" Daniel stammered.

Hannah pointed a finger in his face. "I'm not!"

Daniel lowered his head, giving her space to control her feelings. When he next spoke, his voice was soft. "I _am_ sorry."

Hannah breathed deeply. "Okay." There was a long, awkward silence. Then curiosity forced Hannah to ask a question. "How did you find me?"

Daniel actually chuckled. "You always hunted down the most out of the way places to hide." He looked at her, laughter dancing at the corner of his eyes. "The atrium had a glass roof; you wanted to be where you could see the sky. I looked at the diagram of your ship to find the most out of the way window possible."

Hannah shook her head. Did he truly still know her that well?

"Yeah, but this was the fourth place I tried," Daniel confessed, as if he could read the question in her thoughts. Another moment of silence settled in. Hannah knew her shift would start soon. She was about to stand up and make her exit, when Daniel spoke again.

"So, did you wait?"

She knew what he meant—Had she waited to date. "It's been eight years. What do you think?"

Daniel's mouth curled up in a teasing smile. "You promised."

"As you so clearly brought age into this, I'll point out I was only thirteen. What? You wait?"

Now Daniel laughed openly. "Uh…naw." Hannah raised her eyebrows and nodded her head, a gesture that indicated he was just as guilty as she of breaking his word.

Daniel's smile faded. "But none of them were like you. They were Sadies."

Hannah grunted. "Or Juliet?" To Hannah, Juliet represented the quintessential flighty, air headed girl, fatally in love.

"Still doggin' on Shakespeare huh?"

Hannah shrugged. "Look, my shift's in fifteen minutes. I've got to get changed." She pushed herself off the floor and Daniel copied her movements. He stuck out his hand.

"Friends?"

Hannah took his hand. "I wouldn't go that far. Let's just say colleagues for now."

Daniel nodded. Hannah turned on her heel and marched out through engineering.

* * *

The three days after the competition saw Hannah back to her normal routine. She didn't see Daniel at all as Alpha Company had shuttled back over to its own ship. No one dared ask her why she had punched the guy from Alpha. Maybe they were afraid to find her temper turned on them.

On the third day, Hannah walked to the mess, grabbed her grub and plopped down at the junior officers table. She chewed on a biscuit slathered in honey and listened to the latest gossip: news from earth, the latest hook ups and speculations concerning the personal lives of their commanding officers. A conversation down the table between Sub-Lieutenants Franks and Doyle caught her ear.

"Did you hear Alpha Company's being shipped over to us?" Franks questioned Doyle.

"Why?"

Franks explained. "Eagle's going home. They've done their time." Hannah had forgotten that the other company on their ship had been out here much longer. She recalled hearing a couple weeks back that they would be headed to earth again soon.

"So, they're trading Eagle for Alpha," Doyle concluded.

"Yep," Franks confirmed.

Hannah sighed deeply and concentrated on her food. That meant Daniel would be in her sight often—a constant, hurtful reminder.

When Hannah made it back to her locker later in the day, she picked up her data pad and turned it on as she walked back to her bunk. A flashing icon indicated a new message from her captain. She tapped the icon. The message contained instructions regarding Alpha Company's transfer to the ship. The captain had decided that to integrate Alpha into the ship, each bunk room would house members from the Hawk _and_ Alpha. The captain had included a sentence that revealed he knew about the punch after the sharpshooting contest as he not so subtly noted that the soldiers assigned under Hannah's command would compel her to practice her civility. Hannah skimmed the list of names at the end of the message, her heart thumping in fear. The last name on the list was Daniel Shepard.

Hannah thumbed off the data pad, grimacing angrily, but swore herself to duty as she made it to her bunk and collapsed, trying to push any further thoughts of Daniel Shepard out of her head.


	3. Planet 627

Hannah stood at attention, her back straight as an arrow. Captain Maddock paced back and forth in front of her, his eyes trained on his data pad. He was a formidable man, tall, with a large girth, though all of it muscle. She wasn't sure why he had called her here, but she hoped it wasn't about Daniel.

It had been two weeks since Alpha Company joined up with the Hawk. Following their new ship's tradition, Alpha had chosen a predatory bird title and now its members referred to their company as the Falcon. The Falcon integrated almost flawlessly with the Hawk—except for Daniel Shepard.

Hannah took a deep breath as she reviewed the last two weeks in her mind. Daniel's presence onboard the Avian had come at an unfortunate time for him. Since he had played the antagonist at the sharpshooting contest, he provided a prime target for bullying from the Hawk. He hadn't been physically assaulted (any soldier from the Hawk who beat the pulp out of a fellow soldier would have found himself in the brig on order of the Captain), but he had been verbally abused more often than not. His response to the torment wasn't to keep his mouth shut until the memory of the contest died down. No, he egged it on by retaliating every time with a smart remark for every insult. This resulted in conflicts aplenty between him and the Hawk. At this point, very few members of the Hawk came to his defense anymore and members of the Falcon distanced themselves from him, wanting to get out of target range. Those directly under Hannah's command treated Daniel with the most civility as she gave them a direct imperative to welcome him in. Seeing as she had laid the first punch on Daniel, her soldiers respected her command to the letter, assuming she was simply holding her own self back from beating him senseless.

Hannah had done her best to carry out her captain's orders, but she admitted a little guiltily to herself that she probably hadn't made anything easier for Daniel. The first time he called her "Hannah" in front of her soldiers, she'd sharply reprimanded him for the familiarity. At that time, she perceived she'd wounded his pride acutely and in front of his peers to boot. From that time forward he had coolly referred to her as "Lieutenant" when he had to. Most of the time, he said nothing to her at all, even avoiding eye contact.

Hannah censured herself inside. She _should_ have done more to temper Daniel's explosive anger, talked to him woman to man. But she'd been far too content letting circumstances stay as they were. Her relationship with Daniel was taut with uneasy tension. Talking to him would have forced her to have some kind of personal interaction with him, something she was avoiding these days at all costs. She wanted their relationship to be defined as strictly professional.

Captain Maddock stopped pacing, sighed loudly and turned to Hannah. Hannah tried to stand even taller than she already was if that were possible.

"I've received orders from Command," Maddock informed Hannah. "We're being called away from Arcturus."

Hannah's heart sunk, though no emotion appeared on her face. Leaving Arcturus Station? She'd hoped she'd be able to stay and see its construction to completion.

"We're to play nursemaid to a contingent of scientists and space explorers," Maddock continued. "We've been told to give the Delta Pavonis Foundation our complete cooperation." Hannah recognized the organization's name. They had been reported in the news as raising financial capital to colonize worlds beyond the Charon Relay. Did that mean…? Hannah's emotions changed abruptly as excitement replaced her disappointment at leaving Arcturus.

"I've called you up here, Lieutenant, because I _know_ you're the best shot on this ship." Hannah wondered again how much information Captain Maddock had obtained regarding the sharpshooting contest. "I need three teams assembled to accompany these civilians on their exploration of one of the worlds on the other side of the Charon Relay. I want you to head one of the teams on this mission."

Hannah worked to keep the desire to grin off her face. She had been to space, but so far, she hadn't set foot on an alien world. Now, she'd get her chance.

"You need to assemble a team of twelve, yourself included. We're simply waiting for the Foundation's shuttles to arrive, then we'll proceed through the Relay to our destination. Any questions?"

"No, sir!" Hannah declared.

"Do this thing right," Captain Maddock said to her with a slight smile, "And you just might move up the chain of command. How does Lieutenant Commander sound?"

Hannah gauged that Captain Maddock wanted her to answer the question. "It sounds mighty nice, sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

Hannah saluted, turned and kept the spring out of her step, though she wanted to do some kind of celebratory dance to the elevator. She'd almost reached the elevator when the Captain spoke after her.

"Oh, take Shepard with you. I've heard he's _almost_ as good as you with a rifle." Hannah looked back to see a twinkle in the Captain's eye that revealed his own pride in her accomplishment at the sharpshooting contest. "That, and getting him off this ship is probably the best place for that soldier to be."

Hannah couldn't agree more. Giving Daniel some space and something concrete to do would afford everyone on the ship a chance to relax, though she didn't exactly relish having to take Daniel Shepard on her first mission planet side. The emotions he produced in her kept her perpetually uncomfortable.

* * *

Hannah gripped a handrail above her head as the shuttle bounced its way through the atmosphere of planet 627. There were no windows in the military shuttle, so she couldn't view their approach, which disappointed her. The only glimpse she'd gotten of the planet so far was on their arrival when she'd been off duty and able to sequester herself away in her private cubby, watching as they took up orbit around 627. From space, she could tell it would be beautiful. It resembled Earth with the blues and greens that covered its surface. In just a few moments, she'd get to step on it in person, her feet touching ground for the first time in over a year.

Hannah glanced around the cabin, once again pleased with the team she'd pulled together. There was Daniel, of course, as she'd been commanded to include him. He sat in a corner, his face emotionless, blank stone. She'd secretly wondered if he was excited at all (they used to talk about visiting planets in outer space all the time when they were kids), but so far, he'd seemed entirely neutral to the whole affair. She moved her eyes to Lucas, who all too obviously _was_ excited. She figured he'd be the first to bound off the shuttle when its door peeled back. She'd chosen Riley, too. Riley had a solid head on her shoulders, never taken by surprise. She'd made Riley second in command to her on the mission. The other soldiers consisted of a combination of Hawk and Falcon members: Brian Fergesen, Travis Hill, Ryan Sanderson and Milana Sastakovich hailed from her own company. Ji Yeon, Greta Dahlin, Peter Young and Victor Bohm she'd pulled from the Falcon, having pored over their files to select those that had achieved high ratings during weapons training. All in all, she figured they had the best team of the three assigned to the Delta Pavonis Foundation.

The shuttle pulled up all of a sudden and Hannah hung on as she felt the lift. Then it settled down with a shake, landing at last. The door lifted up and as Hannah had suspected, Lucas was the first to jump out, his head swinging back and forth as he took stock of planet 627. The others followed with Hannah in the rear, making sure all on her team made it out the door. When she finally jumped out, Hannah grinned from ear to ear as she gazed at the beauty of the planet. The scientists called it a "garden planet" and she could tell why. Every inch in her sight burst with lush green vegetation, including fruit trees. Of course, they wouldn't be allowed to eat anything on the world yet. That was why the scientists were here—to extrapolate the probability that the planet would be suitable for colonization.

Hannah told her team to wait and trod over to find Gable Dervin, the scientist leading the entire expedition, a fifty-year-old well respected for his knowledge of environmental factors and their effects on planets. She found him delegating various responsibilities to his scientific team. She waited patiently until he was finished. His green eyes flashed in her direction and he smiled broadly.

"What do you think, Lieutenant? Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hannah nodded. "It's gorgeous."

Gable drew in a long breath. "And fresh, too. Ripe for a colony. That is, if we approve it." Hannah looked at him expectantly. "Ah yes, your duties." Gable looked down at his data pad. "As discussed, you'll escort one of our exploration teams. They'll map the topography five miles in circumference of the science team's base."

Gable looked up and called out, "Tarun!" A young man obviously of Indian descent practically bounced over to the scientist. Gable indicated Hannah. "This is Lieutenant Collier. She and her team have been assigned to you."

"Lieutenant," Tarun greeted her, sticking out his hand. Hannah shook it.

"Where do you want us?" Hannah asked.

Tarun pointed to his team of explorers, a group of about twenty. "We should be ready to go in about ten minutes." Hannah could tell he was eager to start and she couldn't blame him. The fact that she was about to walk into lands that no one had ever laid eyes on awoke almost uncontrollable energy inside her.

"We'll meet you over there," Hannah acknowledged, then hiked back to her team. As she approached, she heard an argument that boiled her blood immediately. Lucas and Daniel were at it again. From the very first, they had seemed like mortal enemies. Hannah didn't know why, but for some reason their personalities ran smack up against each other.

"Right back atcha, wuss," Lucas was saying.

"You want to settle this now?" Daniel challenged. "I'll take you right here, right now."

"You're on!" Lucas shouted back. Hannah tromped over to them, pushing through the rest of her team.

"Knock it off, now!" she commanded. She reached out and grabbed a hold of Lucas' right arm and Daniel's left, directing them away from the rest of the team. When they were far enough away, she stopped and turned her angry eyes on them.

"For the preservation of the reputation of the Avian in front of these scientists, I want you both to shut it for the duration! You got me?"

Lucas had bowed his head and Daniel was looking to his right, avoiding her gaze.

"Lucas?" Hannah demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, meeting her eyes and saluting.

"You better mean it," she threatened.

She was glad to see he didn't crack a smile, but answered back sincerely. "I do, ma'am."

"Shepard?"

Daniel slowly turned his hazel eyes back to her, his face stone once more. "Yes, ma'am," he mumbled.

"Good. I'm not your nanny, boys, so don't put me in that role. You're grown men. Act like it. Now let's get back with the others." She moved back to her team, followed silently by Lucas and Daniel.

* * *

Guarding Tarun's team wasn't thrilling. It was pretty much walk several meters, stop for the explorers to talk and chart, then walk several more meters and do it again. Still, Hannah couldn't complain. She was getting to breathe fresh air and stretch her legs, not to mention take in the glorious sights of the planet. They'd passed a river, a couple waterfalls and several fields full of vibrant flowers so far. Hannah couldn't help but think how perfect this planet would be to colonize and how lucky those first colonists would be.

Tarun finally called for a rest late in the day. The explorers gathered together, a babbling gaggle discussing what they had discovered and mapped out. Hannah's team plopped down on the ground for a rest, most of them laying on the ground for a few minutes nap. Only Daniel wandered away from the group, sauntering over to a pond where he sat staring into it and occasionally picking up a rock to toss in.

As Hannah watched Daniel, she sighed inwardly. She was remembering that day on Lake Superior, when she and Daniel had explored the tiny island together. This was what they had planned for as kids: to explore new worlds side by side. And yet, here she sat, detached from him, afraid to go over and say anything at all.

Hannah forced herself to stand and push back the unpleasant emotions present within her. The least she could do was talk to the guy, maybe make his life with the Avian better by giving him some helpful counsel. She walked over to him and sat down next to him. He acknowledged her presence with a nod, then turned his eyes back to the pond.

Hannah took a breath. "So, what do you think?"

"Of what?" Daniel asked in a dismissive tone, as if he didn't want to be anywhere near her.

She ignored his tone. "The planet."

Daniel took a breath. "It's stunning. Perfect for a colony."

"Yeah," Hannah nodded. After a while, as Daniel remained silent, Hannah tried to get herself to say something, but found she couldn't put voice to her thoughts. Sitting next to him discombobulated her and she couldn't think of anything else to say. She started to stand up and retreat from him, but was stayed when Daniel suddenly spoke.

"Why do you call him Lucas?"

"Huh?" Hannah asked, confused by the subject Daniel had brought up.

"You call everyone by their last name, but you call _him_ Lucas."

"Oh," Hannah turned and glanced back to see Lucas sitting by a patch of weeds, picking at them and smiling. "We went through basic training together. He just didn't pursue officer candidacy afterwards."

"Was he your boyfriend?" Daniel wasn't looking at her. He was drawing circles in the dirt with his finger.

"Lucas?" Hannah laughed. "Not on your life."

"Good."

Hannah felt her heart leap. All at once, she understood the implication of his line of inquiry. Was Daniel…jealous? After all these years?

"You aren't…jealous?" she stammered out.

"What?" Daniel raised his head abruptly. "No. Just, he isn't good enough for you."

"Oh, so you get to decide who's good enough, huh?"

Daniel didn't answer, just went back to shaping the dirt into a portrait.

Hannah went to stand again, but Daniel put his hand out and touched her ankle, causing her to pause. "You wanted to be an explorer yourself? What happened?"

Hannah sighed. She didn't exactly want to discuss her greatest failure. But Daniel looked up and she read true concern in his eyes. "I was smart, but not enough. You know how many people out there dreamed of the stars? A lot more than I knew and a lot more smarter than me."

"Ah," Daniel intoned, refraining from inquiring farther about the details of her failure. "Why the military, then?"

Hannah smiled, remembering. "When they discovered faster than light travel there was talk all over the news how they'd have to push military into space. I think people signed up by the droves just to get the chance to leave Earth. Turns out, the military and I get along really well. Who knew, huh? What about you?"

Daniel looked over at her, then back at the pond. "Nowhere else to go. I was in and out of school all the time due to mom's endless jobs and we moved so often that my grades and test scores didn't add up to much. Military pays for everything, food, room and board. Seemed like the best option."

Hannah felt the sting of pity. She could tell Daniel's life hadn't gone the way he'd wanted it. "At least you're here, made it to space like you wanted."

"Yeah," Daniel smiled slightly.

"Can I give you some advice?"

Daniel turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Just let it go with the Hawk. They only bother you cause you're easy to get a rise out of."

Daniel huffed. "Maybe _they_ should lay off."

"Look, you came onboard our ship shooting your mouth off about how great you are. That didn't endear you to them."

"You didn't help any," Daniel muttered, rubbing his nose.

Hannah grimaced. "Well, never mind what I did. Just stop taking them on. They'll forget if you just stop retaliating every time they say something to you."

Daniel rolled his eyes over to her. "What would you do if every time you turned around someone was insulting you?"

"Keep my mouth shut. I don't need to come back. It doesn't matter what they think."

Daniel shook his head. "Hannah Collier, always confident." Hannah looked at him strangely and he interpreted her look as a reproach. "Sorry, I mean, Lieutenant Collier."

Hannah hadn't been chastising him. She'd been contemplating the fact that when he'd spoken her name, it had sounded like there was affection in his voice.

"Uh," she hesitated, wanting to respond, but taking a moment to gather herself. "You just take yourself too seriously. Forget what anyone thinks about you. Who cares, right?"

"Sure," Daniel said.

Hannah stood and walked away, turning back for just a second to catch Daniel watching her, though he averted his gaze immediately like he meant to hide his stare. As Hannah sat back down, she deliberated inside. _Could he really…? No, it's been so long. And we were just kids. But, it really seems like…Stop it, Hannah! You're imagining things._

* * *

The explorers spent a couple more hours delving into the wilds of planet 627, then announced they should return to camp for the night. As evening drew closer, the sky began to take on hues of yellow, pink and orange that caused more than one person in the group to stop and stare and proclaim his or her awe. So when Lucas stopped ahead of her, Hannah assumed he had halted to enjoy another moment with the sunset. However, he soon pointed and called out, "What is _that_?"

Hannah approached along with Tarun. A few feet away, sitting in the middle of a depression in the landscape, was a creature about the size of a small dog. Its fur was black as night and it sported two beady and bulging yellow eyes. Its elongated nose boasted several thick whiskers. It had four feet and was crawling around on the ground snuffling in the grasses as if searching for food. If Hannah had been pressed to describe it, she would have equated it most closely to a black bear from Earth.

Tarun thumbed on his data pad excitedly and began to take notes. "First wild life!" he exclaimed. He held the data pad up and started to take a short amount of video. "We'll need to send the biologists back tomorrow." The rest of the teams gathered to gawk at the newly discovered species.

Suddenly, a deafening, harsh roar sounded behind them. Hannah felt the hair on her neck and arms stand up in reaction to the sound. She turned abruptly. Standing about thirty meters away was an exact copy of the small creature in the depression, except that this one was far larger. If it had stood on its hind legs, she guessed it would have been eight feet tall at least.

The creature roared again, its sharp teeth evident even in the falling light of the day. Then it charged. The speed at which it came was unbelievable. Hannah realized in horror that one of the scientists stood directly in its path, frozen in fear. Then she heard a voice yell out, "Move!" and a blur flew into the scene, flinging the scientist out of the way and taking her place. It was Daniel who had intervened. He yanked his rifle off his back, put it to his shoulder and aimed at the huge creature bounding towards him.

Hannah found her voice. "Take it down!"

She heard the guns of her team click on as they all brought their weapons to bear. Several shots fired, including Daniel's. Where they hit the creature was anyone's guess, because it howled but kept on coming and no one had time to figure out if his shots had caused any damage. The creature had made it to Daniel. It stopped and used its enormous paw to swipe him to the ground. Daniel curled up into a fetal position, but the creature wasn't dissuaded. It opened its jaws and latched onto his right leg. Hannah cringed at the snap of broken bone that rung through the air and made it to her ears. Then Daniel screamed out in pain and her stomach sailed into her heart as she felt she might heave right there, right then. Her team was still firing, trying to save his life.

Hannah gulped a breath, willed thoughts of vomiting out of her mind and threw her rifle to the ground. She reached back and unhooked her shotgun, then took aim at the creature. Her gun fired, the ammo reaching its intended target right between the creature's eyes. The creature reared back, roared one final time and then rolled onto its side, still. The sudden silence was broken by the heart wrenching cries of pain thrown from Daniel's throat.

"Daniel!" Hannah cried out and rushed to his side. His pants leg had been torn to shreds in the encounter. Hannah saw bone protruding from his leg and blood flowed everywhere. She once again fought the urge to heave, instead pushing the comm on her left shoulder. "Emergency! I need an evac shuttle, _now_!"

She saw Daniel's eyes start to roll back into his head and his groaning ceased. "Hang on, Daniel! Hang on!" she pleaded.


	4. Shepard

Hannah sat at the back of the shuttle, eyes glazed over, her mind in a daze. She'd left Riley in charge on the planet and joined the medical crew on the shuttle back to the Avian. The doctors and nurses onboard hadn't stopped working from the minute they boarded. They had Daniel hooked up to a dozen wires and spoke in hurried medical speak. Hannah didn't understand most of it, but it didn't sound good and it couldn't be good, not with the worry etched on the doctors' faces.

When they reached the Avian, another medical team met them in the hangar bay. They transferred Daniel to a gurney and rushed him to the med bay. Hannah followed, but was halted from entering the sterile ward by one of the doctors, who offered an apology, but demanded she stay outside. Through the med bay windows, she saw them push Daniel down to a surgical room. She became aware she wasn't alone when a voice spoke to her.

"What happened, Lieutenant?" It was Captain Maddock. He stood at her side, his face clouded with concern. Hannah launched into an explanation, recounting the discovery of the creatures and the vicious attack. Maddock shook his head and glanced back through the window, then reached out and put a fatherly hand on Hannah's shoulder.

"Go get cleaned up and come back here," he instructed her.

"I should get back to the planet," Hannah mumbled. "To the team."

"They're in good hands. Trust me. You won't be any good down there, not right now. Shower and come back. That's an order, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir," Hannah acquiesced, forgetting to salute and walking through the medical door and out into the hall. Shower…She began to move towards the showers, then abruptly changed her direction. She didn't want to be anywhere near people. She stumbled her way to engineering and the safety of her cubby.

She sat down, her back to the bulkhead and stared out the window. Planet 627 met her gaze, a glowing orb of apparent beauty against a black background. As her adrenaline waned, Hannah's mind played back the scene that had just transpired below. A groan escaped her lips and her body began to shake. Cries came next, long drawn out sobs she couldn't hold in any longer. She brought her hands up to her face to wipe away the tears, but they were still caked with Daniel's dried blood. She lowered them and wept till she could do nothing but suck in empty breaths. Once her emotion was spent, she brought her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs and closed her eyes. Her inner thoughts tormented her. _I should have drawn my shotgun sooner…Why did I start with the rifle? I could have had that creature down before it got to him. I _should_ have had it down before it got to him…My first major mission and I lose a man…and it's Daniel…I lost Daniel._

She didn't know how long she sat there, but eventually obedience prompted her to leave her cubby as she recalled that she'd been ordered to clean up and go back to medical. She shuffled her way to her bunk, grabbed a fresh uniform and proceeded to the showers. Luckily, no one was there, so she had the privacy of showering alone. The warm water felt like a haven as it washed away the grime and blood that clung to her. Once she had finished and dressed again, she made her way back to medical, her mind clearer, but her heart a tremble with fear.

When the medical door slid open, she saw Captain Maddock still present. He stood by the windows peering into the med bay. She approached, coming up alongside him.

"Did you let it out?" he asked without looking at her.

Hannah didn't need to ask what he meant. "Yes."

"Don't be ashamed, Lieutenant. It's necessary. Good soldiers aren't robots. If you felt nothing for those under your command, I wouldn't want you on my ship."

Hannah nodded, a little surprised that Captain Maddock was being so open with her. "Any word?"

Maddock shook his head. "They're still in with him. They haven't lost him. Not yet. There's still hope."

* * *

Hannah waited outside the med bay all night. She watched doctors rush back and forth through the windows, but no one came out to update Daniel's progress. Captain Maddock was in and out throughout the night, attending to duties then coming down to check if there had been any developments. Hannah knew he could have just called the bay, checked with a doctor through the comm, but she suspected her captain came to support her as needed and she was grateful. Waiting was killing her. She had tried to doze here and there, but couldn't make herself relax enough to call any sleep she managed restful.

Finally, when the early morning hours were upon them, a doctor came out to report to both Hannah and the captain. Daniel would live, though he had lost part of his leg. The creature had crushed the bone with such force that there was nothing to recover. They'd had to amputate his right leg just below the knee. For now, they were keeping him sedated, wanting his body to recover. In a couple days, when he had his strength back, they'd bring him out of sedation and fit him with a prosthetic.

Hannah felt relief and distress at the same time, elated Daniel was going to make it, upset that he'd lost a limb. The doctors let Hannah and Maddock into the ward as Daniel had been moved to recovery. Maddock pulled back the curtain surrounding Daniel's bed and Hannah scrutinized Daniel, trying to assess his current state. He was pale, an obvious sign he'd lost lots of blood. His eyes were closed and his breathing deep. She walked to his bedside and gazed on him, guilt overwhelming her.

"Lieutenant?" Maddock asked. "Something you need to say?" She shook her head, but Maddock contradicted her response. "You shouldn't lie to your commanding officer."

"Saying it wouldn't do any good," Hannah whispered faintly.

"Saying it gets it out in the open where it doesn't have any control over you anymore," Maddock expressed, then sighed. "The first time I lost a man under my command, I beat myself up for months. It didn't do me any good and it won't help you either."

Hannah looked up at her captain. All her dealings with him had been professional. She viewed him as an authority, a figurehead. Now, for the first time, she perceived him as a person, a real man who had seen things and experienced things she didn't even know of. What had he learned in his thirty-six years of life? His grey eyes spoke a wisdom she knew she didn't possess and she could tell he was asking her to confide in him, to trust him, not just as her captain, but as a person.

"I should have gotten my shotgun out faster or realized the minute we saw the little creature that something bigger could be nearby. It's my fault." Hannah brushed a hand over her eyes, willing herself not to cry in front of Maddock.

"The hard pill to swallow in the military is that you are _bound_ to lose men," Maddock said. "You didn't lose _him_. Seems to me you should be proud. From what I hear, you got in the final shot that took that thing down."

"I could have taken it down earlier."

"Sounded like it kept coming no matter what your team did. Lieutenant, take pride in what you did down there. You saved this man's life."

Hannah fixed her eyes back on Daniel. She hadn't viewed it that way. She had concluded that she failed him. She hadn't considered her actions had actually saved him. Still, her guilt wasn't entirely quelled.

Hannah drew in a long breath. Daniel would be unconscious for the next two days. She couldn't do anything up here, but she could get a second chance to protect her team. She looked back at Captain Maddock.

"Sir, there's nothing I can do here. I'd like to return to the planet, to my team."

Maddock's face grew angry. "I'm afraid that won't be possible, Lieutenant."

"I failed, sir, but I won't let it happen again. I won't disappoint you down there."

"It's not that. I had a conversation with Dervin. He's not happy with you right now."

Hannah creased her eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

"His biologists are up in arms that the first thing you do when you step foot on their planet is kill its wildlife."

Hannah exploded. "What? It would have killed _us_!"

"I know. I agree with your actions completely and I've told Dervin that. From what I gather, Tarun took up your defense, too, and quite adamantly."

"What did they want me to do? Cuddle it and ask it to like us?"

"They understand you had a reason to do what you did. They just wish you'd done it a different way."

"And what way would that be?"

Maddock shrugged. "They're pansies, the lot of them. Scientists and explorers with their minds on the stars and their heads up their butts, idealists for whom reality doesn't exist."

Hannah shook her head, crossed her arms over her chest and tried to control the wrath inside her.

"Anyway," Maddock continued. "They don't want you down there. I've sent two replacements down to your team. What I suggest is you get some sleep." Hannah opened her mouth to protest, but Maddock held a hand up, causing her to close it. "Get some sleep. I'll order you if I have to, but I'd rather you just listen to sense."

"Yes, sir," Hannah spoke resignedly. She glanced once more at Daniel and proceeded to walk back to her bunk. The moment she collapsed into it, her mind shut down and she drifted off into a heavy sleep.

* * *

The next couple days Hannah divided her time between her duty shifts, the med bay and sleep when she could manage it. She spent hours at a time just sitting next to Daniel. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she didn't talk. She didn't even quite understand why she thought being near him crucial. He wasn't aware she was there, so why did she come? But for some reason she felt more at peace when she was by him, as if her presence could some how remedy his awful situation.

Unfortunately, she ended up on duty when the doctors brought him out of his sedated state. When her shift finished, her comm had beeped and she tapped it to hear Captain Maddock informing her Daniel was awake. Maddock had already seen him and conversed with him. He reassured her that Daniel was doing well. She'd thanked Maddock for letting her know and dashed straight to the med bay.

A she approached the bay, she saw through the windows that the curtains had been drawn away that surrounded Daniel's bed. He was sitting up, a doctor checking his vitals. She stopped and watched. She wanted to go in, to talk to him, but didn't know what to say. Should she apologize? The very idea of saying to him, "Hey, sorry I failed and your leg got bitten off," just sounded weak and stupid. For a moment she considered just leaving the bay, not saying anything at all, but Daniel had seen her through the window. His eyes met hers and she stared, trying to read the emotion within. She didn't see anger or hate. She saw…compassion. But why compassion? It was such a strange emotion to catch in Daniel's eyes. He lifted up his hand and waved her in. Hannah walked into the med bay, making her way over to his bed. The doctor was just leaving.

"Hey," Daniel greeted her quietly.

"Hey," Hannah answered back. She tried to avoid looking down, but in trying not to, her eyes inevitably flickered downwards.

"It's weird," Daniel said, patting his right thigh and looking at where the rest of his leg used to be. "But I can still feel it."

Hannah nodded. "Phantom pain."

"It's not painful," Daniel assured her. "Just feels like I could stand up and walk out of here." He paused a moment. "The captain tells me I have you to thank for being alive."

Hannah shrugged. "I don't know about that."

"I know you," Daniel spoke softly. "You think you failed me."

Hannah felt her eyes begin to water, so she turned her head and coughed and rubbed her face to hide them.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's a new planet. None of us knew that thing lived down there."

Hannah said nothing, just breathed slowly.

"Come on, please don't beat yourself up over me. I'm not worth it."

Hannah's heart sank. How could he say something like that? "You are worth it, Daniel. You're worth it to me."

Daniel grinned and chuckled.

"What?" Hannah demanded, wanting to know why her sincerity was being treated as a joke.

"You used my first name. Does that mean something?"

She smiled at the teasing look in his eyes, letting the humor of the moment relax her tension. "If you start acting like Lucas…"

"I promise I'll call you 'Lieutenant' in front of the men and never 'Red.'"

"Good." There was a pause in the conversation. Hannah looked to the ceiling, not knowing what to say next.

"I think I've made up with the Hawk," Daniel announced, rescuing the silence.

"How so?" Hannah asked, turning back to him.

"They've been coming to see me ever since I woke up. It's like the whole ship found out about the incident down there."

"They've been talking about it for the last couple days," Hannah informed him. She'd been forced to repeat the facts several times over as rumors continually created a larger story, most of the time describing her team under attack from an entire army of black furred creatures.

"Well, the entire Hawk seems to think I'm some kind of hero." Daniel sounded uncomfortable when he voiced the word "hero." "Captain Maddock even told me he's put me in for a medal."

"That bothers you?" Hannah asked, perceiving Daniel's distaste for the idea.

"The thing is, I didn't stand there and think 'I need to go push that woman out of the way so I can be a hero,'" Daniel explained. "I just acted with no thought at all."

"Maybe that _is_ what makes a hero. You know, what you just _do_ because it's who you are." Hannah was surprised by the wisdom she'd just heard come out of her own mouth and struck by a realization at the same time: Daniel _was_ a hero. He'd acted when it counted because his very character was composed of tenacity and bravery.

"If they give me a medal, I think I'll just keep it in my footlocker. Wearing something like that would just feel out-of-place."

Once again, the conversation lulled. After a minute went by and neither of them said anything, Hannah started to walk back to the entrance, speaking as she went. "I guess I should let you rest."

Daniel flung out an arm and grabbed her hand. "Just stay. I don't want to be alone. I don't care if we don't talk."

Hannah slid her hand out of his grip, but she walked back over to his bed and sat in a chair next to it. "Okay."

"They gave me this game pad," Daniel said, holding up a large, rectangular data screen. "Want to play chess?"

"I hate chess."

"Yeah," Daniel nodded. "I forgot. Parcheesi?"

"That I'll play."

As Daniel turned on the game pad and tapped the icon for the Parcheesi board, Hannah was thrown back eight years ago once again. She remembered a rainy day of playing games at her house, how she and Daniel had laughed and chatted. _Here we are_, she thought, _up in the stars, sitting on a spaceship and playing the same games we played as kids. _For some reason, it just felt right.

* * *

As the week wore on, Hannah spent every spare moment at Daniel's side. He'd gone into surgery the day after he woke up so the doctors could attach his prosthetic leg. They'd spent hours connecting his nerves to the device and sealing it. Hannah was grateful for medical advancement. Daniel wouldn't need to replace the prosthetic for ten years or so if it worked as intended.

Daniel reported feeling sensation immediately once he'd woken up from the surgery. He could move the prosthetic toes and foot easily. Still, learning to walk with it was another matter. Hannah showed up more often than not at his physical therapy sessions as he learned to interpret the sensory data from his new leg. It felt different, he'd said, not knowing exactly how to describe it. Like he had a leg, but it wasn't entirely part of him. The doctors said it would just take time to get used to it.

Hannah took to walking around the ship with Daniel once he could stand for longer periods of time. He still limped, but he got better at it every day. By the end of the week, when the teams returned from planet 627 and his team visited him, they could hardly tell a difference in his physical appearance. The entire team had held a party for Daniel, complete with cake bribed out of the cook. Lucas even presented him a token gift, a small skin rug sewn from the fur of the creature that had attacked him. Hannah ignored the fact that the scientists probably didn't know her team had absconded with a piece of their precious wildlife discovery.

Another week passed by. The teams had only spent the weekend aboard ship and then ferried back down to the planet to spend the week with the scientists and explorers. Daniel had been released for duty and Hannah noticed how he kept showing up at her on duty locations whenever he was off duty. He also developed the habit of finding her during her downtime. The result was that they spent more time chatting than they had in eight years. To Hannah, it felt like they were making up for lost time, filling in the gap between childhood and adulthood. So it shouldn't have surprised her what happened one day when Daniel trespassed upon her cubby, acting entirely nervous.

She'd gone to her cubby for a moment of solitude when she became aware of Daniel's steps heading her direction. She always recognized his approach now as he limped ever so slightly. Daniel hadn't been back to her cubby ever since that conversation after she'd punched him. Hannah intuited he respected her desire for privacy. So she naturally wondered what had compelled him to seek her out.

She heard his voice before she saw him. "I hope I'm not intruding?"

"You're not," she spoke out.

He poked his head around one of the metal beams. "Mind if I sit with you for a bit?"

"No." She scooted over, making room for him. Daniel sat next to her, his palms braced on the floor behind his back and his legs stuck straight out.

"I can't sit cross-legged yet," he mentioned. "Feels too strange still."

"You've made good progress. All the doctors say so."

"Yeah." Daniel coughed and his eyes darted around the cubby. Hannah noticed he was tapping his fingers on the floor, a nervous habit she recognized from his childhood.

"What's up?"

"Huh?" He stopped tapping his fingers. "Um…"

"Why are you acting so odd? Did the doctors tell you something? Something you don't want to tell me?"

"No. No, I'm fine. I really am."

"O-kay. So what's wrong?"

"I wanted to catch you when you were alone."

"Yeah?" Hannah felt annoyed and afraid at his stalling, wondering what bad news he'd tracked her down to tell her.

"Well, you know, we've kind of become friends again, which is really nice."

Hannah smiled. "Yeah, it is." She'd come to enjoy Daniel as much as when they were kids, even more so.

"It's just. You know, when you confront your own death to the face, it makes you think about life, about what you really want to do. About your future." He coughed into his hand. "Sorry, dry throat."

Hannah's heart leapt in anguish. "You're leaving, aren't you? You don't want to be military anymore, is that it?" Hannah chastised herself. She didn't know why she didn't see this coming. Getting your leg chewed off would send anyone fleeing from the ship. She couldn't blame him. Yet, she grieved inside. She didn't want him to go, didn't want to live the military life alone again.

"Oh, no. No, I'm not leaving."

Hannah knit her eyebrows. "Oh. Then what?"

"Look. Maybe I should just ask you not to answer right away. Before I ask you, just promise me you'll think about it."

"Think about what? I'm not making a promise I can't keep."

"Yeah, that's what I'm scared of."

"Huh? Daniel, look, just spit it out. What is the problem?"

Daniel lifted up a hand and ran it through his hair, then took a big breath. "Hannah, I want to marry you."

Hannah almost laughed, but then caught the seriousness in Daniel's eyes. "You…you're really…you mean it."

Daniel lowered his eyes. "I guess, by your reaction, I've received my answer."

"Uh…" Hannah tried to form a response. He wanted to get married? She was shocked, having not seen this coming. But what truly took her off guard was how she felt: pleased and happy. Was she really in love with Daniel Shepard?

"I…we…we've only been together again for a month," Hannah pointed out, blurting out the first thought that came to mind.

Daniel looked up at her, his eyes hurt, but also determined to convince her of his feelings. "I don't care if I was only fourteen when I first fell in love with you. I swear I've never loved anyone but you."

Hannah didn't know if she quite bought that. "What about your Sadies?"

A guilty look passed over Daniel's face. "Yeah, about them…They were like playthings really." Hannah looked taken aback and Daniel held his hands up. "Okay, yeah, I know I shouldn't view them that way. I don't think I did at the time. But none of them held a candle to you. I never clicked with anyone like I did with you, like we click now."

Hannah knew the sentiment because she felt the same way. She just never knew Daniel's feelings had reflected her own. Now it was her turn to deal with nerves. She sucked in her lips, then blew a breath out her nose. "I lied."

Daniel cocked his head, confused at the turn in conversation. "About what?"

"I didn't exactly lie, I guess. I just kind of misled you."

She saw heartbroken comprehension dawn in Daniel's eyes. "You do have a boyfriend. Back on Earth? In a different company?"

"No. No. Not at all," Hannah spluttered, grasping that Daniel _hadn't_ detected her lie. "No, I just, I never dated anyone ever."

Daniel suddenly smiled widely. "You didn't? You mean, you actually kept the promise?"

"I didn't try to keep it," Hannah voiced, not wanting Daniel to misinterpret her actions. "It's just…I think I intimidate men. It seems all they can do is respect my intellect and authority, but that's as far as it ever goes."

Daniel sat there grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh don't give yourself airs, Daniel Shepard," Hannah reprimanded him. "I liked plenty guys, they just never liked me back."

"Well, I'm not intimidated," Daniel declared. "If you ask me, they missed out. There isn't another girl in the world like you. And I mean it, I don't want to live my life without you. Hannah, I love you."

She heard the truth in his declaration: he did truly love her. Did she love him? She realized with a start that she did. How long the love had rested in her heart, she didn't know. She couldn't help but chuckle inside. Love didn't present itself the way she thought it would. She didn't see fireworks or hear violins. It didn't make its appearance with bursting red hearts like on those old time cartoons from Earth. It had grown quietly, biding its time, just waiting for her to notice it and when it was time, it didn't burst forth screaming in exaltation. It knocked at the door of her heart and informed her feelings that it existed.

"My parents will freak," she said.

Daniel gave her a small, half-smile. "Yeah? About what?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm sure mom always dreamed about having a big wedding. And dad always said he'd be standing next to me with a shotgun to shoot any guy he thought unworthy."

"So…I need to be _glad_ your dad isn't here?" Daniel still wasn't exactly sure what she was saying.

"I don't know. But I know they're going to lose it when they read the e-mail I send them informing them that I just got married way out here and they couldn't attend." Hannah grinned bashfully at Daniel.

"You're saying 'yes'? You really are?" Daniel wanted to confirm.

"I'm saying 'yes.' I'm saying I love you, idiot."

Daniel sat up straight, then angled over and brought his hand up to her cheek. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. This time, Hannah kissed him back.

Two days later, Hannah found herself on the bridge of the Avian, standing with Daniel in front of the Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral Wallace. Captain Maddock held a place next to Daniel, who had asked him to be his best man and a witness. The only attendants were a select few peers that meant something to either Hannah or Daniel. There was no finery. They both wore their dress uniforms, though Hannah had let her red hair hang loose for the event. Admiral Wallace spoke briefly about the meaning and commitment of marriage. After a swift recital of traditional vows, an exchange of rings, and a kiss, Wallace proclaimed them a married couple.

So it was that in a short, but meaningful ceremony, Hannah Collier became Hannah Shepard.


	5. Honeymoon

Hannah raised her head to check on Daniel's progress. He dangled several feet above her and swung over to a ledge, getting his footing. Looking down, he gave her a thumbs up and cinched the rope, making it taut for her ascent. Hannah pushed against the rock face with the balls of her feet, searching for a solid step up. Slowly she climbed upwards, using the rope as her aid. When she reached the ledge, Daniel put out his hand and pulled her over. She fell into him, but he remained standing, gripping her arms to restore her balance.

Daniel looked up. "We're almost there. One more section to go."

Hannah looked up as well, then over at the beautiful green scenery stretching for miles. When she turned back, Daniel had already resumed the climb. His agility astounded her. She'd never been rock climbing before, but Daniel loved it and wanted to take her. After about ten minutes, he'd reached the top of the face. He secured the rope, then tightened it so she could ascend. Hannah felt for a handhold, found one and used all her strength to pull up. She traced Daniel's steps, following his footholds. When she reached the top, she put out her hands and pushed herself over onto the flat surface of the mountain. Daniel took her hand, helping her stand. He grasped her shoulders and gently turned her around.

"See? It's worth the climb, isn't it?"

Hannah stared. She could see the city in the distance, surrounded by lush green. The ocean glimmered, a thin blue line on the horizon. Closer, to her right and left, she spied a few summits of various low-lying mountains; the tops of all the other mountains disappeared into clouds far above their position. Valleys below displayed flowering trees, turning the ground into a rainbow of color. She had to agree that the glories of Eden Prime looked all the more stunning from above.

"The view is worth it," she breathed. "But I don't know if my muscles agree."

Daniel laughed and slid an arm around her waist. She folded her hands on top of his arm and leaned back into his chest. Almost two years and they had managed to stay married. She didn't kid herself—the first year had been rough. It was one thing to say "I do," and a whole other thing to live it out. Meshing two different lives turned out to be harder than she expected. They'd experienced a few months of fiery, continual passion and then real life set in—arguments over the smallest things, hurt feelings and a thousand apologies as they learned to communicate with one another.

Hannah figured part of the reason they'd had such a hard time in the beginning was because of their removal from familiar surroundings. The Avian didn't house couples. Three months after their marriage they'd been transferred from the Avian to the SSV Geneva which provided small, but adequate rooms for married officers. Being in such close quarters easily provoked attitudes of anger and frustration. She would never have admitted it to Daniel, but there were days she wondered if she'd made a mistake, if she shouldn't have married him at all. But she also knew that Daniel was completely committed to her; he'd been so destroyed as a kid by his parents' divorce that he was determined not to repeat history. Little by little they learned how to navigate and read each other, how to love and support each other. After that first year, things improved greatly; Hannah now felt she couldn't exist without Daniel beside her.

After their marriage onboard the Avian, they didn't have a proper honeymoon, only two days off in consideration of their nuptials. So when they'd been given two weeks leave at the same time, Daniel had arranged for a real honeymoon. Somehow he'd tracked down his mother's second cousin's friend, one of the first colonists to settle on Eden Prime. She'd agreed to let them stay at her home during their leave. Hannah had been a little concerned that they would be intruding on the home of someone they didn't know, but all turned out well. Alice was a generous, older woman, feeding them breakfast every morning and not caring if they came back late. Some days they just stayed in completely, making use of the bed she'd provided. In three more days, their "honeymoon" would be over and they'd be shuttling back to Trammal Station to await a shuttle transfer back to the Geneva.

"How long do we stay up here?" Hannah asked.

"As long as we want," Daniel answered. He let go of her waist, stepped in front of her, placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her tenderly. Hannah sighed when his mouth left hers, content.

"This was a good idea," she commented.

"You mean the rock climbing?"

"Oh, that's okay. But I meant the whole trip. The honeymoon. Thanks."

"No problem." Daniel grinned at her, then touched an object hanging from her neck, rolling it around in his fingers. "I'm glad you kept it, no matter how mad you were at me."

Hannah smiled and glanced down. She wore the necklace he'd given her for her thirteenth birthday, a silver chain with a tiny, silver rocket charm. "I _was_ mad, but I also didn't want to forget the good times we had. Though, there must have been a dozen times I thought about just getting rid of it."

"Maybe fate wouldn't let you. Didn't you tell me once you had a great destiny out here in space? I tend to think that destiny was marrying me."

Hannah guffawed. "Right. Not that I don't love you, but that wasn't what I meant at all. There's still some great destiny out there, I just have to find it."

"Or move up the chain of command to get it," Daniel half-teased.

"Well, step by step," Hannah agreed.

"Don't worry. You'll be an admiral someday."

"You're a fortune-teller then?"

Daniel snickered. They'd been accosted by a "fortune-teller" when they'd first arrived who implored them to hand over a few credits for a reading. He'd assented only because the poor woman exuded desperation. She'd read their palms and announced their destinies ran together and they would one day achieve wealth beyond the stars.

"I just know the woman I married will get what she wants no matter how hard she has to work to get it."

"You would know," Hannah assented. More often than not she won their arguments because she never backed down and knew exactly what buttons to push to make Daniel do what she wanted. Some days she felt guilty for it; others, she exalted in her ability.

Daniel sat down on the ground, his knees bent. He pulled Hannah's hand, directing her to the ground. She sat between his legs, resting her head on his chest. She stared up at the clear, blue sky, then closed her eyes. The warmth of the sun lulled her into a pleasant slumber.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," a voice whispered. Hannah's eyes fluttered open. She sat up quickly.

"Oh goodness, I fell asleep."

Daniel brought his hands up to massage her shoulders. "You've been so tired lately, I'm glad you got some sleep."

Hannah nodded, rolled her neck and yawned. She'd felt so fatigued lately, what with her new duties onboard ship. She'd been promoted six weeks ago to Staff Lieutenant. The stress of the job was nothing new, but she figured taking on the extra work brought on extra fatigue as well.

Hannah heard a rumbling and her stomach clenched. She smiled with half her mouth. "I think I'm hungry."

"Well, it's about noon. Let's go back down." Daniel pulled her up and walked back to the edge of the rock face.

"So," Hannah said, looking at the ground far below, "We get back down by…"

"This is the best part of the whole thing," Daniel declared. "We repel back down." He hooked himself back up to the rope, leaned over the side and pushed back. Hannah watched as he swung out and in, thrusting the rock face with his feet to keep himself descending.

"Alrighty then," Hannah said to herself, hooking her own climbing apparatus to the rope and following behind her husband.

* * *

Lunch was a quick affair. They returned to a small restaurant they'd found early on in the trip that utilized local produce as well as imports. The owner recognized them and gave them a discount on their meals since they'd graced his place for the second time. As they began the walk home, Hannah brought her hand to her head and sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"You alright?" Daniel asked.

"I'm just not feeling good all of a sudden," Hannah replied. She felt dizzy and wondered if she might collapse in the street. She reached out and clasped Daniel's hand for support. He put his arm around her back to keep her upright.

"Let's just…get back," Hannah breathed.

"Maybe we should go to a hospital," Daniel suggested, worry on his face.

"No, I just need to lie down."

They made their way through the city and then into the outskirts, back to the small dwelling of their hostess. As they approached the door, Hannah felt her stomach heave and when they entered vomit hit the floor, splattering the door. She doubled over and kneeled to the ground.

Alice peeked out from the kitchen, her blue eyes wide in surprise. "Oh, my dear!" she cried, then hurried back into the kitchen and returned with a towel drenched in cold water.

"Here," she said, handing the towel to Daniel. "Take her to the bedroom and put it on her head." Daniel helped Hannah stand and directed her towards the guest room.

"I'm so sorry," Hannah mumbled back at Alice.

"No problem, dearie. I've raised five children," Alice spoke, not looking up as she cleaned the floor. "They say they've eliminated pretty much all disease on Earth? Ha! _My_ little darlings proved them all wrong."

Daniel aided Hannah into the small bed, lay down next to her and pressed the towel to her forehead. His eyebrows creased in worry.

"I'm okay," Hannah assured him.

"Probably food poisoning," Daniel thought aloud, recalling how much they'd eaten out over the last several days. "Hopefully it's out of your system now, if not, you'll be over it in 24 hours."

Hannah rolled her eyes at him. "Way to make me feel better."

"Let's just hope it's the short kind," Daniel encouraged, pulling the hair band off her ponytail and running his hands through her hair to relax her.

It wasn't the short kind. Hannah threw up four more times between the afternoon and evening, then it seemed to let up. However, the next morning she vomited twice. They ended up sequestering themselves in the guest room, not wanting to pass any possible virus onto Alice. Alice brought meals to the room and kept replacing cold compresses. Daniel spent the time either holding Hannah's hair back so she could puke in the bathroom or laying next to her on the bed as she managed to sleep, exhausted from retching so much. The afternoon saw three more rounds of sickness. By the evening, Daniel's worry had been replaced by the fear that something was really wrong with his wife. When she vomited again in the evening and there was no sign of it letting up, he insisted they take her to the hospital. Hannah tried to persuade him that she was sure she'd get better on her own, but he won the argument this time. He handed her a bucket and they called a cab that ferried them to the local hospital.

As they waited in the lobby, Hannah clung to Daniel's hand, her heart beating fast and her hands sweating. She turned weary hazel eyes on him. "I'm so sorry I ruined the end of our honeymoon."

Daniel smiled lightly and squeezed her hand. "Well, it's just another chance to practice our vows: 'in sickness and in health.' Though, I think I like the health part better."

Hannah managed a muffled laugh, then found her head in the bucket again. After an hour, they were finally seen by a doctor. He asked numerous questions, then sent a nurse in to take blood work and have it analyzed. After what seemed like hours, the doctor came in and told them all the tests were normal. He asked them to wait a moment and left the room.

A nurse entered and informed them the doctor wanted one more test performed. She pulled a small handheld device with a screen on it out of her pocket. The device had a cord attached to it with a knob at its end. She directed Hannah to lift up her shirt and unzip her pants, then proceeded to move the knob all over Hannah's abdomen. She then called for the doctor. He entered again and the nurse pointed at the screen.

The doctor's face broke into a smile. Hannah wondered what was up—why would the doctor smile at her predicament? Did she have some rare disease that he was eager to study or something?

"Well," he announced, "There's nothing wrong with you that nine months won't fix."

"Nine months?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows raised.

"You're going to be parents."

Hannah pushed herself up on her elbows in the bed. "What?"

"You're pregnant," the doctor clarified, taking the screen from the nurse and pointing out a tiny bean shape in the black and white image. "Congratulations."

Daniel leaned over to stare at the screen and mirrored the doctor's wide grin with one of his own. He then turned a mischievous look on Hannah. "So I thought you were on birth control. I'm not mad, but you could of just said you wanted to try for a baby."

"I didn't try," Hannah protested. "I just…missed a few pills here and there. I didn't think it would be a problem."

The doctor chuckled, then beckoned the nurse to follow. They ducked out to leave Hannah and Daniel alone to discuss the doctor's findings.

"A baby," Hannah muttered. She laid back down and closed her eyes, trying to work through the information she'd just been given. This wasn't how she'd planned it. She wasn't supposed to be pregnant, not now. She'd just been promoted. If a baby came, she'd have to give her career up for several years.

Daniel had picked up the screen and held it, gazing in wonder at it. If his smile could have, it would have spanned the whole length of the room. Hannah read the ecstatic emotion in his eyes and wished she could have shared it. He turned to her and his smile slowly faded as he observed her face. "You're not happy."

"I…I…" Hannah stammered. "I want to be."

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…the timing of it."

Daniel frowned and sat down in a chair next to the bed. "We'll make it work. I know we don't have a lot of money saved…"

"It's not the money…it's…" Hannah paused. The more she thought about it, the more egotistical she sounded to herself.

"Then what?" Daniel spoke with a challenging tone.

"Oh, it sounds so selfish to say it, but…it's my career. I just got promoted, Daniel. If I have a baby, I'll be out of the military for at least three years."

An irritated look appeared on Daniel's face. "A baby's more important than a career, Hannah."

"I know that," Hannah protested angrily. "I'm not saying a baby is less important. It's just…well it's how I feel and I can't change it!"

"So are you saying you don't want it?"

Hannah took a deep breath and glanced at the screen in Daniel's hand. She could hardly believe that little bean was growing inside her, depending on her for life and protection. She reached out and touched the bean on the screen. "I'm not saying that."

"Then what are you saying?"

Hannah turned an exasperated look on Daniel. "I'm saying this is going to be hard, saying good-bye to my dreams!" Hannah understood all too well the sacrifices she would need to make for a baby. She recalled Alice's statement that she'd raised five children, cleaning up the vomit behind them. Being a parent took dedication and selflessness, but she wasn't sure she had those in her.

Daniel sighed, stood and walked over to the bed, running his hand through her hair. "Sorry I got upset," he murmured.

Hannah felt the tears well up. Daniel sat on the edge of the bed and she lay her head on his shoulder as she cried. When her tears ceased, Hannah pulled herself up and looked at Daniel. "I don't think I'll make a good mom," she finally admitted, lowering her eyes.

"What?" Daniel asked. "Of course you'll be a good mom."

Hannah shook her head, unsure.

Daniel put a hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to face him. "You're Hannah Shepard, a woman who stops at nothing to excel. I _know_ you'll be a good mom because you'll try more than any woman I know. Trust me. He'll think you're the best mom in the universe."

Hannah smiled slightly. "How do you know he's a he?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't think I can handle _two_ women in the Shepard family."

"You might have to," Hannah pressed.

"Well, I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it." He held his hand out and Hannah took it, letting him help her stand.

"Girl or boy, it doesn't really matter," Daniel said as they exited the hospital. "I'm going to be a better dad than mine ever was." Hannah thought then that she saw more determination in Daniel's eyes than she'd ever seen on any mission.

* * *

They spent the last two days of their "honeymoon" isolated in Alice's home. Hannah went through several more bouts of vomiting, but by the last day, it seemed to let up somewhat. Hannah ironically thought how wrong they were to call this "morning sickness." For her it was morning, afternoon and night sickness. As she and Daniel packed their bags in preparation for their departure, Hannah tried to remain upbeat. The thought of her career put on hold still niggled at the back of her mind. She'd really tried to push that thought away and out of her mind, but it kept appearing no matter how much she fought with it.

She became aware that Daniel sensed her inner war when he'd stopped packing and sat down on the bed, asking her to do the same. She sighed. She didn't want another argument over this. She was trying to resign herself to the fact that her military career was basically shot and she didn't need him trying to "help" her get there.

"You won't need to quit," Daniel told her, putting his hand in hers.

She looked at him sadly. "I'm not unhappy, really, Daniel. I mean, the more I think about it, the more I'm getting used to the idea of being a mom. It's a whole new adventure, right?"

"You won't have to quit," Daniel repeated. "I called Maddock and he's going to pull some strings for me. I'm joining the reserves. I'll stay home with our child and you can still pursue your dreams."

Hannah stared at Daniel, her mouth open, flabbergasted. "You…you're giving it all up?"

"Not entirely. Maddock said he's going to try to get us assigned to a station so we can be together as a family as much as possible. He said he can also try and find you a posting that won't keep you away much. Oh, and he says congratulations to the new mom."

"But, your own career. You can't drop it for me."

"Not to dismiss you or anything, but I'm not dropping it entirely for you. I'm dropping it for him, too," Daniel said, pointing at Hannah's abdomen.

"I know, but, it just feels wrong."

"Why? You were going to do that for him. Why can't I? Hannah, it's the most logical thing to do. You've advanced farther than me. You're still my superior. I joined the military as my only option, for you, it was a commitment to a career. I don't want you to give it up. I won't let you give it up."

Hannah shook her head back and forth in amazement. At that moment she loved Daniel more than she ever had. His selflessness, his affection, his commitment to her and to their child overwhelmed her. She flung herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you," she whispered. "You're a good man and you're going to be a great dad."

"I hope so," he sighed.

Hannah looked him straight in the eyes. "You _will_ be." She drew close to him and opened her mouth to kiss him, then suddenly pushed back and rushed to the bathroom. When she returned, Daniel had finished packing both their bags and looked over at her with a tired smile.

"This is going to be a long nine months, isn't it?"

"It's going to be a long eighteen years," Hannah amended.

Daniel walked over and put his arms around her. "It'll be worth it. I know it. We're two of the best people around. He's got to be amazing, right?"

Hannah grinned. "As long as _she_ gets more of my qualities, I think _she'll_ turn out fine."

Daniel pinched her sides, tickling her and Hannah laughed weakly, pushing him away. "Come on, our flight's in an hour and I need to get there early so I can pick up some extra barf bags."


	6. Three

Hannah sang softly to herself as she constructed a sandwich at the kitchen counter. She'd never really been one for music, but with motherhood only a few weeks away, she'd decided she needed to brush up on her lullabies. She was still humming when she heard the door swoosh open from the living room and a voice call out.

"'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' tonight, huh?"

She smiled and turned as Daniel walked into the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"I don't care how draining my day is, having you here is all that matters." He walked over, linked his arms around her waist and then drew back, scrunching up his nose. "What are you eating?" He bent over and sniffed the plate on the counter. "Is that…a tuna and cinnamon sandwich?"

"Uh, yeah," Hannah affirmed.

"Yuck!"

"Don't knock it. I can't help what I crave."

"At this rate, our baby's gonna love tomatoes slathered in chocolate, marshmallows speared on pickles and now…cinnamon and tuna sandwiches?"

Hannah giggled. "I don't think what a mother eats actually means her baby will eat it later. Old wives tale."

"Yeah, well that's good news," Daniel spoke as he wandered back into the living room, Hannah following. "I don't think I can keep paying for marshmallows imported from Earth." He tromped down the hall to the bedroom to change out of his work clothes. Hannah sat back against the couch and set the plate on her belly. She had to admit that pregnancy had its advantages; a built in pedestal for her meals was one of them.

She took a bite of the sandwich, then placed it on the plate and chewed thoughtfully. Daniel put in long hours at the docks. As he was now in the reserves, he'd had to find a civilian job to supplement their income. He worked as a mechanic on the ships brought in to Mythos Station for quick fixes and upgrades. Maddock had been true to his word. He'd found Hannah a position on the SSV Newton with the understanding that she'd go on sabbatical for twelve weeks, six before the baby was born and six after. The Newton was attached to Mythos Station and regularly returned after ferrying scientists and explorers through the Charon Relay. In the last seven and a half months, Hannah had been able to see Daniel regularly, every two weeks or so.

Mythos had quickly become home. Hannah would have preferred to stay on the other side of the Charon Relay, but being back in the Sol System did afford them the option of seeing her parents more often. Her parents had decided to take their first space flight and come visit them once the baby was born. Her mother had expressed interest in seeing Pluto up close for the first time. Mythos Station had been hastily built in orbit around Pluto when the mass relay in the system had been discovered. It provided a military and scientific base from which to proceed through the relay. Over time, it grew as military officers posted their families at the station, thus opening the way for entrepreneurs with an adventurous spirit to make a go on the station through various shops and entertainment venues. This resulted in a small, but adequate environment for living comfortably at the edge of the system.

Hannah glanced at the hall as she heard Daniel pace back down it. The pattern of his gait still hinted at a slight limp, though this was oblivious to anyone but her. He strolled into the kitchen. She heard the microwave spin for a while and then he came back out and plopped down next to her on the couch.

"Sorry I didn't make dinner," Hannah apologized.

"I didn't want cinnamon and tuna," Daniel joked, smiling at her. "It's okay. We had leftovers from last night. You're too busy making a baby to make dinner."

He took a bite of spaghetti, then reached over and rubbed her belly. "Six more weeks and we get to meet her."

Hannah put her hand on top of Daniel's and squeezed it. Then she jumped slightly. "Did you feel it?"

"Yep." Daniel grinned. "She's strong."

"I think her kicks get bigger when you're around. It seems she reacts more anyway."

Daniel leaned down to her belly and spoke into it. "Keep on growing healthy and strong for your daddy," he gave advice to her belly.

Hannah laughed. "She'll certainly know your voice." Every time she returned to the station, Daniel talked to her belly almost constantly, wanting to make up for lost time. She thought back to when they'd found out they would be having a girl. She'd been worried Daniel would be disappointed, but he'd actually handled it well. He told her he'd have to work out more at the gym to make sure he could keep up with two stubborn women in the family. She became certain he was okay with having a girl when she'd arrived home one time and discovered a tiny pink onesie folded up in his sock drawer. When she'd pulled it out, she'd laughed aloud at the words emblazoned on the front: "Don't ask me for a date; my daddy carries a shotgun." When she'd confronted him with it, he'd sheepishly explained that a peer at the docks had welcomed a little girl recently and told him about the store that sold the onesies. He'd gone in just to browse out of curiosity and came back with a purchase. She'd then chastised him over the color—girly pink, her least favorite color. Then they'd had to discuss the question of how much pink they were going to allow her to wear. It hadn't been an argument, but a silly and intense discussion over the color of their daughter's clothes. They'd finally come to the agreement that no more than 10% of her clothes would be pink.

Hannah finished her sandwich and looked over to Daniel who was slurping up the last of his spaghetti. "I'm tired," she mentioned. "And my back's been killing me."

Daniel took her plate from her and put both his and hers on the coffee table. "Turn around," he instructed. Hannah did as he asked and he massaged her back, loosening up her tight muscles. Hannah rubbed her belly. She wondered what life would be like in six weeks, how it would all change, how _she_ would change. You couldn't add another member to the family without things becoming radically different. She still hadn't figured out how having a baby fit into her destiny. She'd never considered having a child a part of her plans, not even when she'd married Daniel. She knew he wanted kids, but she assumed that would come way down the line when she'd established herself in a prominent position in the military.

"Thanks," Hannah muttered after Daniel stopped rubbing her back. She lay down on the couch and used his lap as a pillow while he grabbed the television control and flicked on the screen on the far wall. A movie appeared, its subject an attack by aliens on Earth. Hannah snorted.

"People still think when we meet aliens, they'll be hostile," she spoke out derisively.

"They could be," Daniel answered back.

Hannah looked up at him as he looked down at her. "I know you keep a neutral opinion on the whole thing, but I don't get why they'd be our enemies. I know the first thing we'd do is be diplomatic, so I don't see they'd need to attack us."

"You just never know," Daniel asserted. "They'll most likely have a whole different culture from us, different ideas of how things are done, maybe even different ideas of what's right and wrong. I mean, they could think killing and dominating another race is positive."

"I guess," Hannah spoke doubtfully. She understood his point and it made sense, but she still hoped in her heart of hearts that if aliens did exist, humanity would get along with them.

When the movie finished, the hero having destroyed the alien force and saved the galaxy, Daniel gently lifted Hannah's head off his lap and stood up. "My leg is asleep," he groaned, pacing back and forth, stepping gingerly on his left leg. Hannah turned on her left side and snuggled up against the back of the couch.

"You're not going to sleep on the couch again?" Daniel asked once his leg had returned to normal.

"It's the best way to get back support," Hannah explained. "I sleep better that way."

Daniel sighed, walked over to the couch and leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek. "I want to meet our baby, but even more than that, I want you back in our bed." He flashed her an impish smile.

Hannah raised her eyebrows at him. "If you think we'll be having a lot of sex once we've had her, you're sadly mistaken. Do you know how tired we're going to be?"

"I don't care," Daniel insisted. "I'll make it happen."

"Sure. Good night."

"Night," Daniel echoed, then sauntered down to the bedroom for a good night's sleep.

* * *

Around 0200, Hannah awoke from sleep which was nothing new. Nowadays the baby kicked often during the night, forcing her out of slumber. But this time, something felt different. Her abdomen and lower back throbbed with sharp pain and she felt like the life was being squeezed out of her. She groaned, sat up, and felt a whoosh down below. Reaching her hand down, she realized the couch was soaked. Her heartbeat quickened. It wasn't time yet. This couldn't happen now.

"Daniel!" she called out. The bedroom door remained closed so she called out again louder. "Daniel!...Daniel!" Finally, the door to the bedroom slid open and Daniel appeared at the end of the hall, his hair disheveled, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I think…my water just broke," Hannah breathed out, trying to speak in spite of the squeezing in her abdomen.

"What?" Daniel's eyes popped open wide and he rushed to her side. "It's not time."

"I know. But I think she's coming anyway." Hannah doubled over, her hand below her belly, trying to breathe like she'd been taught.

Daniel sprinted to the comm unit in the kitchen. Hannah heard his brief conversation as he talked to someone at the local hospital. He ran back into the living room, sitting next to her on the couch and holding her shoulders.

"I'm scared," Hannah gasped, grasping his hand. "What if she can't live without me yet?"

"She's going to be fine," Daniel assured.

"You don't know that."

Daniel paused before answering and Hannah read his delay as confirmation of her fears. "Seriously, she'll be okay," he finally reasserted.

A medical team arrived at their apartment and quickly shuttled Hannah and Daniel down to the hospital. They threw Hannah into a gown immediately on arrival and wheeled her on a gurney to a room where they transferred her to a bed. Dr. Reece, her middle aged obstetrician, was already in the room.

"We're having a baby today!" Dr. Reece spoke cheerfully. Hannah wondered how she could be so happy in the middle of the night with a preterm birth imminent. Dr. Reece recognized Hannah's fear and patted her shoulder. "You're almost 35 weeks. I promise babies at this stage of development survive. Don't worry."

Hannah wanted to trust her doctor, but her worry wasn't swayed. However, she didn't have to entertain the emotion for long. Soon her mind was dominated by the process of labor. The nurses gave her medication for the pain, making everything a whole lot easier. Daniel held her hand and urged her to push when the doctor gave him the go ahead. Hannah thought the labor took forever, but in little over five hours, Dr. Reece announced the baby's head had appeared and the rest of her would follow directly.

Hannah watched Dr. Reece's face and caught a look of concern. Daniel had leaned over to watch their daughter enter the world. "She's here," he'd whispered. But the baby didn't cry.

"Why isn't she crying?" Hannah asked.

Dr. Reece didn't answer, concentrating on using a small bulb to suck out the baby's mouth and nose. A weak cry whimpered through the room. Dr. Reece handed the baby to a nurse. "Take her to neonatal, stat."

"What's happening?" Hannah asked, trying to sit up, but too tired and numb to do so. She only got a glimpse of her baby as she was hurried out of the room.

"Go with her!" Hannah suddenly shouted, letting go of Daniel's hand. "Stay with her."

"Okay. I'll come back soon," Daniel promised and followed the nurse out the door.

Dr. Reece pulled down her surgical mask as she walked to Hannah's side. "I think she'll be fine. Most likely her lungs just haven't developed completely. We need to hook her up to a ventilator."

Hannah nodded, her mind in turmoil. Lungs not fully developed? Ventilator? All she wanted to do was see her baby and somehow protect her. "I want to see her."

"You need to pass the placenta first," Dr. Reece explained. "She's in good hands. Don't worry."

After thirty minutes or so, Daniel returned to the room, grinning. He jaunted over to Hannah and kissed her on the forehead. "She's gorgeous, Hannah. Five and a half pounds of tiny and perfect."

"You aren't worried?" Hannah asked, still struggling with fear.

"She's on a ventilator, but they say that will only be for a few days. They'll help her lungs mature during that time."

"I want to see her."

Daniel looked to Dr. Reece who nodded. "Let me get you a wheel chair."

When the wheel chair arrived, Daniel, aided by the nurses, helped Hannah into it. He pushed her down to the neonatal ward and up to an incubator. Hannah sat up straight, as tired as she was, and peered in on her baby girl.

She was small and pink and completely bald. A tube protruded from her mouth, but her little eyes were open, directed at her mother, and she stretched her arms and legs.

"Can I touch her?"

"Through here." Daniel pointed out the two circles on the incubator that allowed her to put her hands inside. He slid back the cover over one of the holes and Hannah slipped her right hand inside, gently holding her daughter's small hand.

"You'd better make it, little one," Hannah whispered. "I haven't spent all these months protecting and nourishing you just to lose you."

Daniel placed a hand on Hannah's shoulder. "We _aren't_ going to lose her."

* * *

Three days later, Hannah, though still recovering from labor, felt much better and was able to walk down to the neonatal unit herself. She'd spent every waking moment next to her daughter. The tiny infant grew stronger by the day and Dr. Reece had decided that today the ventilator could be removed.

When Hannah entered the unit, she found Daniel already there. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled encouragingly. A nurse arrived and they went to work removing the tube. Their baby coughed softly, then took a large breath. She could breathe on her own.

Hannah felt relief spread throughout her tense body. Daniel squeezed her shoulder. All they had to do now was wait for Dr. Reese to release both Hannah and the baby. While they waited, the nurse picked up their daughter and handed her to Hannah. Hannah sat down in a recliner by the incubator and snuggled the infant in her arms. She was so small and yet so strong, mewling and pushing against Hannah.

Daniel tapped the incubator and Hannah looked up to see him pointing at the identifying name on the lid: Shepard. "She needs a first name."

Hannah shook her head. "If you'd agreed to my choices, we'd have one."

Daniel shrugged. "Sorry." They'd had numerous discussions about various names, but hadn't been able to choose one. Everything he liked, she didn't and everything she liked, he didn't. They wanted a name they could both agree on. "How about Juliet?" Daniel's eyes twinkled.

Hannah rolled her eyes at him. "No." She didn't want her daughter to unwittingly copy that flighty romantic fatalist from Shakespeare.

"Well, there's still one name I haven't suggested, but it's my favorite. A good, strong name."

Hannah half turned her head to him, eyeing him with one eye, wary of the name he was about to suggest. "And it is…"

"Hannah."

Hannah smiled. "I'm flattered, but how would we distinguish between us?"

"Use her middle name?"

"And now we're back to square one. What would her middle name be?"

Daniel tapped the incubator again, thinking. Suddenly, he spoke out quickly. "Jane."

"Jane?" Hannah played with the name in her mind. "It's simple. Straightforward."

"Not very girly," Daniel added, knowing Hannah didn't want anything too prissy.

"Why Jane?"

"My grandmother's name," Daniel stated with a faraway look. She could tell he was remembering the woman who had meant so much to him growing up. His grandmother had been his rock in a world of instability.

"Hannah Jane Shepard," Hannah recited, wanting to hear it aloud. "Rolls off the tongue easily."

"So…" Daniel intoned, his eyebrows raised.

Hannah gazed down at the baby in her arms, her eyes closed, fast asleep. It was a good name, a name she hoped would carry her daughter into a bright future. "Hannah Jane it is."

* * *

When Hannah and Jane were released, Daniel caught a shuttle to take them back to the apartment. As they reached the door, Daniel hesitated before entering.

"Just, don't get mad," Daniel warned Hannah.

"Wait. You didn't…"

"There aren't many of them."

Hannah stomped her foot lightly, as she was carrying Jane swaddled in her arms. "I _hate_ surprise parties."

"I'm telling you so it won't be a surprise," Daniel clarified, his eyes laughing. Hannah frowned at him. "Look, I just had to show her off, just a little."

"Alright," Hannah grumbled, knowing grousing wouldn't change anything at this point. The door to the apartment slid back and she was met by cheers of congratulations. Daniel had invited two couples they'd made friends with when they first arrived on Mythos, Brad and Tamara, who they had over for coffee often, and Michael and Sarah, their gaming buddies who came over to play games almost weekly. He'd also invited his co-worker, Brian and his wife Denise, who'd had a baby girl five months ago. Everyone oohed and aahed over Jane, chatting and giving advice on how to handle the first few months of her life. They'd also brought gifts, which were well appreciated since Jane had come early and they hadn't furnished the entire nursery yet. Now they had a changing table, a swing and a plethora of clothes and feeding accessories, not to mention diapers galore. Hannah was taken aback at the generosity of their friends.

After a couple hours, their guests left, leaving them alone with Jane. Hannah carried her to the bedroom and placed her in the bassinet next to their bed, then collapsed onto the bed herself. She kept propping herself up on her elbow to get a look at the infant breathing deeply next to her. Daniel changed into his pajamas and slipped in next to Hannah. He peeked over her shoulder, staring at Jane.

"We made a miracle," Hannah whispered.

Daniel nodded. "That we did."

"She's going to do something great, I know it."

"I thought _you_ were going to do something great."

"Oh, I will. But I just have this feeling she will, too, you know."

"So I should prepare myself for the onslaught of reporters that will mob me wanting interviews about the two famous female Shepards?"

Hannah turned and punched him in the arm. He laughed, drew her into his arms and hugged her. "So, do you want to…"

Hannah yawned. "I just want to sleep. Besides, Dr. Reece said we can't for at least three weeks."

"Are you kidding me?"

"You'll just have to wait, lover boy," Hannah muttered. She closed her eyes and smiled when she felt Daniel's lips brush her cheek.

"We don't have to wait to make out."

Hannah opened her eyes. "Tomorrow, okay?"

Daniel sighed, but laid back down on his side of the bed. "I'm considering that a promise," he declared.


	7. Shanxi

Hannah chuckled quietly as she listened to Daniel and Jane down the hall in the bathroom.

"My teeth _are_ clean, daddy," Jane was insisting.

"You only brushed them last night," Daniel disagreed.

"But I brushed them yesterday, so they're clean."

"You grow germs overnight."

"Daddy! Gross!"

"Well, it's true. Now just brush your teeth."

"Okay," Jane mumbled. Hannah could imagine the pouty face Jane was giving Daniel, even though she assented to obey his command.

Hannah continued wrapping the present she'd bought for Jane. On the occasion of Jane's third birthday, Hannah and Daniel had planned an excursion to the arboretum and arranged for a party with a couple friends at their apartment. Both she and Daniel hoped the celebration would not only satisfy their toddler, but keep their own minds off of larger events as well. Hannah felt a chill radiate down her spine. Everyday she got up and tried to hide her fear from Jane. She knew she couldn't hide it from Daniel, but he played the game with her in front of their little girl—a game of pretending all was well when everything was as wrong as possible…

* * *

_One Month Earlier_

The door to the apartment slid back and Hannah entered, her eyes barely open. The Newton had come back into port at 0300 and she'd been wakened from sleep to disembark. All she wanted to do was stumble to the bedroom and crash out on the bed. She expected to find Daniel asleep so she could cuddle up next to him, but when she stepped into the living room, she found him wide awake, his eyes riveted on the television. Flashes of color danced off the walls of the dark room reflecting the television screen.

"Hey there," Hannah drawled out, trying to get Daniel's attention. He turned, but the distress in his eyes caused her stomach to churn. She could tell something was terribly wrong.

"Jane?" she asked, her heart pounding.

"She's fine. She's asleep. Come here." He reached out a hand to her and she took it. He pulled her down to the couch and pointed at the screen. A female reporter with dark hair was managing to keep a professional attitude, though Hannah saw right through her façade—she was terrified.

"...reported that there have been numerous causalities. It is believed only one ship escaped destruction. We are awaiting an Alliance spokesperson who will clarify the rumors presently. As of now, all we know is that it has been reported that several starships were destroyed by an alien force while attempting to activate a new relay."

Hannah glanced at Daniel who knit his eyebrows as he stared anxiously at the screen. "An _alien_ force?"

"That's what they're saying," Daniel confirmed.

"Alien? Are they sure?"

Daniel pointed at the screen again. The Alliance spokesperson appeared, a large man in his sixties. He addressed the reporters that had gathered at Alliance headquarters, reading from a data pad. "Approximately three weeks ago at 1934 hours, several starships were attacked by an unknown force when they passed through the Shanxi-Theta Relay. The starships were not of Alliance origin. We believe these ships to be alien in nature. One Alliance ship returned to Shanxi colony and reported the attack on our forces. Unfortunately, Shanxi was itself attacked. The colony managed to send out a probe that arrived at Arcturus Station intact. We have had no contact with Shanxi since and it is believed to be occupied by hostile forces. Our colonies in the Zhong System are in imminent danger. For this reason, we have grounded all nonessential vessels and will strategize and mobilize our fleet to protect our colonies."

The reporters began to pepper the spokesperson with questions. Hannah realized she had been gripping Daniel's hand tightly when he reached over and peeled back her fingers, releasing his hand from her grasp.

"Aliens," Hannah stated.

"Our first contact," Daniel said, "And it's an attack." He turned troubled eyes on Hannah.

"You were right," Hannah conceded. "First contact and they're hostile to us."

"I wish I wasn't right," Daniel mumbled. "This could mean full scale war."

"Do you think they'll come to the Sol System?"

"It's anyone's guess at this point."

Hannah's data pad suddenly beeped, indicating a priority message. She thumbed it on and pressed the icon for her military e-mail. Her eyes skimmed the message. "The Newton's grounded," she reported, a tremor in her voice. "No more explorers are allowed through the Charon Relay without express permission from the Alliance. I'm to remain on Mythos for the time being."

Hannah looked up at Daniel. "What if they come here?"

"We'll be ready for them," Daniel answered back confidently. "The Alliance won't let them take this station." He paused. "There better be a quick end to this war."

* * *

_Present Day_

But it hadn't ended yet. Two weeks after the announcement of Shanxi's capture, the Alliance disclosed it had begun a counteroffensive against the alien force, a fight to save the colonists of Shanxi. Every day reports streamed in on the war in the Zhong system. The alien and Alliance navies seemed fairly well matched. At the moment, the war was being fought primarily in space but there was talk of a marine offensive on the ground any day now.

Hannah and Daniel tried to keep the television off whenever Jane was around. They also avoided talking about the war, acting as normal as possible. They didn't want her childhood scarred with fears that real monsters might possibly appear on station to kill its human inhabitants.

Hannah finished wrapping the gift. Even in these uncertain times, she found one joy—as the Newton had been grounded, she'd spent more time with Daniel and Jane than she had in a while. Originally she'd promised herself she'd be back on Mythos for every one of Jane's birthdays. However, her promise was broken when a stint onboard the Newton kept her off station for Jane's second birthday. At least the war meant she wouldn't miss Jane turning three. As she tied a ribbon on Jane's gift, Hannah hoped that Jane would see many more birthdays, that this year wouldn't find them fleeing invading alien forces bound for Mythos.

Hannah heard Jane's little feet pounding down the hall. "Mama!" she cried out, spinning in her new yellow overalls with the blue flower on the front. "I'm pretty!" She clapped her hands and her pigtails bounced.

"Yes, you are," Hannah affirmed. "So, how old are you today?"

Jane stopped and twisted her lips, concentrating. "Um…three…years…old." As she answered, she worked to hold up only three fingers on her right hand. She ended up holding up four. Hannah giggled silently, walked over to her, kneeled down and bent Jane's thumb over her pinky finger.

"Yeah, I'm three!" Jane declared and began to spin again.

Daniel entered the living room and shared a short smile with Hannah. Even so, Hannah read trouble behind his eyes. She knew he worried daily over the war, but he seemed even more down today. However, she didn't want to broach the subject, not in front of Jane.

"So, how about we go to the arboretum?" Daniel asked.

"Yes!" Jane called out and ran to grab Daniel's left hand. "You coming, mommy?"

"Of course." Hannah took Jane's left hand and they walked through the apartment door as a family.

* * *

The arboretum was situated in the very center of the station. Artificial sunlight filtered throughout the glass structure, providing the nourishment required for its plant life. Hannah thought the densely packed greenery and flowering plants of various kinds mimicked a jungle. Jane loved to run down the paths and hide, then jump out when they passed. She'd picked up the habit from Hannah herself, who would do the same, sending Jane into fits of giggles.

They walked the entire distance of the arboretum and back again, about a mile round trip. Halfway through Jane had begged to be carried and Daniel obliged. She sat on his shoulders and pronounced herself the captain of her own spaceship with daddy as her helmsman. Daniel strode up and down the paths, uttering zooming noises to the delight of his daughter.

Leaving the arboretum, they strolled back to the apartment, Jane now skipping alongside her parents. When the door to the apartment slid back, Jane squealed as she spied two of her best friends inside, Marcie and Li Yun, along with their parents. Jane had made friends with the little girl and boy at the education center where she went to school while Daniel worked during the day.

They ate cake and ice cream and then opened presents. Hannah was pleased to see her gift made an impression: a scale model of the Newton. Early on Jane had fallen in love with starships and was ecstatic to display mommy's ship in her room. But the gift that took the cake was Daniel's. Hannah knew he had spent months calling and e-mailing, tracking down the right people to import everything to Mythos that he would need for Jane's gift.

"Jane, how about we go see what's in your room?" he asked once all the other gifts had been opened.

"But I want to play, daddy," Jane protested.

"Well, there might just be _one_ more gift for you in your room."

Jane's eyes went wide and she practically flew down the hall, followed by her friends, Daniel and Hannah.

"Fish!" Jane cried out. "Fish! Just like at Grandma and Grandpa's!"

Flush against the far wall, next to Jane's bed, was an aquarium about three feet long by one foot wide. Daniel had filled it with multiple kinds of freshwater fish. Jane and her friends pointed and ooed over the fish flashing brilliant colors in the tank.

Hannah looked at Daniel to enjoy the grin on his face. Without a doubt, Jane was a daddy's girl. Jane had been so taken with the fish tank at Hannah's parents' house when they'd visited several months ago that Daniel had determined to get her one of her own. He'd collected the fish little by little as he'd convinced various travelers to bring them along to the station as well as all the parts for the tank. He'd also invested in several months' supply of fish food.

As the girls showed no sign of wanting to leave Jane's room, Hannah and Daniel wandered back to the living room to chat with the adults. For about five minutes the conversation managed to stay in the realm of small talk, but inevitably digressed to the war.

"I think they've got to be Protheans," Brian asserted. "I've always thought that discovering those ruins on Mars proved that there were only two races in the galaxy—us and the Protheans. After all, we've never found evidence of any other race out there."

"But we've only explored a small portion of the galaxy," Daniel pointed out.

"Granted," Brian agreed. "Though I still think it makes the most sense. The Prothean ruins are what pointed us to the Charon Relay. Who else would get so upset that we wanted to use the relays except the Protheans?"

"I just hope we're safe," Mei Ling spoke up. "I'm glad we live in the Sol System. I don't even want to think what the colonists on Shanxi are going through."

Hannah shifted in her seat. She really didn't want to think about it either, but Mei Ling's statement sent her mind that direction immediately. Were the colonists being enslaved? Slowly tortured and killed? No one knew at the moment and not knowing unnerved her.

"They might be rescued soon, if the Alliance has anything to do with it," Li Chen added. "There's rumor they might launch a ground offensive soon. Maybe even call in the reserves."

The conversation went on, but Hannah heard little of it. She fixed her eyes on Daniel who was sitting in a chair next to the couch. She caught his gaze for a moment, and he turned away quickly. Her heart thumped in her chest. They were calling in the reserves, that's what Li Chen said…and Daniel wouldn't look at her.

The rest of the party felt like a fog to Hannah, her fears a dark mist that spoiled it for her. Still, she remained calm, pretending her emotions didn't exist. Finally, their guests left. Hannah noticed Jane's weary eyes and suggested a nap.

"I don't want to," Jane countered. "I want to play with my toys."

"How about we go look at your fish?" Daniel proposed.

"Yeah," Jane agreed. Daniel walked her down to her room. Hannah followed, standing outside the door listening.

"You can watch your fish if you lay in your bed, okay?"

"Alright," Jane agreed. "Can you read me a book, daddy?"

"Just one. Which one do you want?"

"The fish one. _The Space Fish_."

"Here it is." Daniel paused and Hannah could hear him flipping pages. "Once there was a fish. He did not like the ocean. He thought the ocean was boring. He wanted to go to space…"

Hannah waited all through _The Space Fish._ When Daniel finished the book, he instructed Jane to watch her fish until she went to sleep, then slipped out of the room and tapped the switch on the wall to shut the door. He turned a knowing gaze onto Hannah, took her hand and led her to their bedroom. He gently pushed her to a sitting position on the bed. Then he sat next to her, letting go of her hand and rubbing his face.

"You're going," Hannah stated. She didn't want him to answer, didn't want to hear the truth, but she knew his answer already.

"I got the call this morning," Daniel intoned, his voice low, almost inaudible. "They're calling up some of the marines in the reserves to take back the colony."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hannah demanded, suddenly angry, not at him, but at the fact that he'd been called back into service.

"I wanted Jane's birthday to be good for both her _and_ you. I didn't want you to worry and I didn't want Jane to know, not yet."

"When do you leave?"

Daniel fixed her with an unhappy gaze. "Tomorrow evening."

"That soon." Hannah felt tears well up, but quickly wiped them away. "I could go, too. They'll need officers. Maybe I could ask to go."

Daniel abruptly grabbed her shoulder. "No. I don't want you anywhere near Shanxi. You _have_ to stay here for Jane."

Hannah knew he was right. "I don't know her as well as you do," Hannah muttered. "She idolizes you."

Daniel shook his head and put an arm around her waist. "She idolizes you, too. You're all she talks about when you're away. She's always telling everyone that you're her awesome space mom."

Hannah's eyes began to water again and she rubbed them dry. Daniel leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about me, please. I'll come back. I'm not going to leave Jane without a father."

"That better be a promise." Hannah wanted a guarantee.

"It is," Daniel affirmed.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Hannah found herself glued to her data pad. She never knew when Daniel would call or send messages. More often he sent e-mails as calling was a privilege normally extended only to high level officers. He had let her know that he'd arrived at Arcturus Station, then that he'd been attached to the Second Fleet, and finally that his unit would be heading through the relay to Shanxi.

Several days followed with no message at all. Hannah tried to busy herself and keep her mind off of Daniel by concentrating on Jane. Before and after school, Hannah took Jane on outings throughout the station, hoping to keep both of them occupied. They had just returned from one of the outings, when her data pad beeped, prompting her to answer an incoming call.

She sat down with Jane on the couch and they both peered down at the screen. A fuzzy image appeared and Jane called out, "Daddy!"

Hannah smiled in relief. "Daniel. Finally."

"Sorry," he spoke, his voice distorted through the distance. "It's hard to get a good call out under encryption."

"Where are you?" Hannah asked.

"Onboard the SSV Galileo," Daniel answered. "We've stayed out of the space battles. They've been trying to punch a hole in the defenses of the enemy. They think they'll have it soon. I wanted to call because, if they push open the door, we're going through it. We're ready to hit the ground."

Hannah nodded. "Be careful."

"You know I will."

A loud male voice sounded in the background and Daniel looked to the side. "Hey, Peggy! Lieutenant says get your butt over here now!"

"Peggy?" Hannah asked.

Daniel groaned. "They found out about my leg. Peg leg got turned into Peggy."

Hannah couldn't help but laugh. "Sounds good. Maybe I should call you that when you come home."

"If you do that, I swear I'll call you 'Red' all the time."

"Peggy!" the loud voice called again.

"I'm coming!" Daniel yelled back.

"Look, Hannah, I love you and…"

"Don't you say it, Daniel. You're coming back. I know it."

"Yeah. I will. Jane, I love you, sunshine."

Jane, who had been silently watching the conversation between her parents, grinned at the screen. "Love you, daddy."

"I'll send a message when I can. Bye." The screen went blank.

Hannah sat back and pulled Jane into her lap. Jane let herself be snuggled. Hannah was glad. Right now, she just wanted to hold onto her as if holding onto Jane was holding onto a string attached to Daniel.

* * *

Another week went by with no message. Hannah kept the television on constantly. The reports on the news were general in nature, only restating over and over the fact that troops were on the ground. Any video of the war came from the space battles instead of the ground. Hannah found she couldn't sleep at night. She'd put Jane to bed then curl up on the couch, leaving the television muted so she could glance at it every time she woke up. Her data pad rested on the coffee table, waiting for any message that might be sent.

She found herself jolted out of sleep at around 0416 at the end of the week. Her data pad beeped, signaling a new message. She snatched it off the table and turned it on, pressing the message icon. It was an e-mail from Daniel.

_Hannah, we pushed them off of Shanxi! They've retreated! You will not believe what they look like. I'm sure the news will have some footage soon. The colonists got a lot of video recorded in secret._

_They say we're going home soon, at least most of the reserves. A lot of the Alliance ships will stay as a warning that the aliens better not try to take the colony again. A different kind of ship was spotted this afternoon, apparently coming in under a flag of truce. Rumor is that there are other races of aliens in the galaxy, too. Maybe they're on our side?_

_Tell Jane Daddy loves her. Love you, Hannah. Daniel._

Hannah looked to the television. Daniel had been right. The news had already picked up the story. She grabbed the control and unmuted the screen. The dark haired reporter was on.

"…video recording from Shanxi, our first look at the aliens we've been fighting for the last three months." A grainy picture popped up and Hannah gulped. A group of aliens had appeared on the screen. They were tall and terribly skinny. Most of them had gray skin and strange horns out the backs of their heads. She could swear their flat faces almost looked metallic, like they glinted in the sun. Their faces also bore some kind of markings or tattoos. She noticed humps on their backs and she thought she counted only three fingers on their hands. They looked entirely intimidating. The reporter came back on the screen.

"Shanxi is now under Alliance control. Alliance military ships will continue to guard the colony, ensuring there are no further attempts to retake Shanxi. In other news, Leonard Rawlings is the new golf pro of the century as he…"

Hannah muted the television again. She kept seeing the aliens in her head. Daniel had fought those. She wondered what they were like in combat.

After Hannah took Jane to school she spent the rest of the morning muting and unmuting the news. They kept showing various amounts of footage of the aliens. Where at first sight they'd made Hannah feel threatened, the longer she looked at them, the less intimidating they became. _And apparently not undefeatable_, she reminded herself when she watched the umpteenth recording of the aliens.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Daniel's question concerning a new group of aliens possibly on their side was answered. The dark haired reported had been replaced by a blond man. Hannah found herself sitting on the couch again, all ears and eyes on the television screen.

"We are not alone in the galaxy. Alliance officials announced they have made contact with a council that claims headship over the galaxy. They have brokered a truce between humanity and the hostiles at Shanxi who call themselves turians. We will bring you more information as soon as we receive it."

Hannah sat on the couch dumbfounded. Turians—that was what their enemy called themselves. Some council claimed it held supreme power in the galaxy. How many alien races _were_ there in the galaxy? The news report hadn't said. Her brain could hardly make sense of the information seeping in. Yet it was nothing compared to the reports that came in over the next week. The council, referring to itself as the Citadel Council, opened the gateway to an avalanche of information, giving humanity a digital codex of sorts from which to learn about the galaxy. The news kept reporting updated star charts, pointing out systems that existed and the various alien groups that occupied them. Then there was the information that the political power center of the galaxy was a place called the Citadel, an oblong shaped object with five arms. The news reporters began devoting a segment each day to describing a different alien race. By the end of the week, Hannah had learned a little something about turians, asari, salarians, quarians and krogans. Each looked different and each had its own peculiar culture. Hannah's mind was on overload. It was almost as an after thought that she recalled she'd even heard how the whole war between the humans and turians got started in the first place: there was a law that certain dormant relays couldn't be operated. The turians had attacked humanity's ships as a police action.

Hannah received another message from Daniel at the end of the week.

_Hannah, I'll be back on Mythos in about sixteen hours. I'm bringing a friend with me, one of the Lieutenants from the Galileo. He needs somewhere to crash for a little bit as he's been promoted and is waiting to be reassigned. Hope you don't mind._

_I miss you. I miss Jane. Can't wait to see you again. I never want to go back to Shanxi. I don't even think I want to see another alien again. Daniel._

Daniel's message troubled Hannah. She was overjoyed he was coming home. She didn't care about the friend that wanted to stay with them. It was his last two sentences. What specifically had happened on Shanxi? What had this war done to her husband?


	8. Aftermath

Hannah spent the next sixteen hours in anticipation, eager for Daniel to walk through the apartment door. It was a weekend, so Jane was prancing all over the apartment, excited now that she knew daddy was coming home. She'd stacked several of her model ships in the center of the living room floor so that she could play starships with daddy the minute he appeared.

Finally, at 1456 hours, the door to the apartment slid open and Hannah heard a voice.

"Hannah! Jane! I'm back!"

Hannah dashed into the living room and jumped into Daniel's wide open arms, giving him one of her longest kisses ever. Daniel wrapped his arms around her and clung to her tightly. Jane flew down the hall from her bedroom.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Daniel let go of Hannah, but she sensed he did so reluctantly. He bent over and picked up Jane, throwing her into the air then giving her a hug just as tight as he gave her mother.

"How's my sunshine?" he asked.

"Good, daddy. Will you play starships with me?"

"I will. Just wait a moment. I need to introduce mommy to someone, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

Hannah then turned her attention to the front door and saw a young man standing at the entrance. He seemed close in age to herself and Daniel, perhaps a little younger. He had dark hair and beautiful sky blue eyes that were immediately noticeable. Considering his age, she was surprised to find that he bore himself like an admiral. She felt that he must be a man who followed protocol to the letter.

Daniel placed Jane back down on the floor, gesturing toward the door. "Hannah, this is Lieutenant Hackett. Steven, this is my wife, Hannah."

The young man strode forward and held out his right hand. "Good to meet you."

Hannah shook his hand. He had a strong, firm handshake. "You as well, Lieutenant."

"Call me Steven," the young man insisted. "I've gotten to know your husband pretty well. It would seem out of place for you to call me Lieutenant."

"Alright, Steven. Welcome to our apartment. It's kind of small, but…"

"No worries. All I need is a couch. I'll make do." He moved over to the couch, placed his bag next to it and sat down, smiling at Jane who had picked up a starship, zooming around the room. "So this is Jane." Steven looked to Hannah. "She's almost all I heard about onboard ship."

Hannah grinned and cast a glance at Daniel. He was smiling, but Hannah perceived his smile was forced. Something was bothering him, but she didn't feel comfortable exploring the issue right now in front of their guest.

"It's almost dinner time, how about we eat?" Hannah recommended.

"Great," Daniel agreed. "I'm starved. One thing that hasn't changed onboard a starship is the food. Military rations are still bland."

Steven laughed. "I think I've gotten used to it. Tastes fine to me. But I guess you get better fare here on Mythos."

"That we do," Daniel said, then was pulled to the floor by Jane who demanded he play starships.

At dinner, Hannah asked several questions about the war. Daniel said very little. Steven took up the explanations, though he'd been in space and not on the ground. He chatted away about how the turians were strong militarily, though too regimented in their approach to fighting. It was his contention that human innovation and willingness to work outside conventional fighting tactics won them the war. He had to admit, though, that if the war hadn't been stopped by this "Citadel Council," maybe humanity would have seen more resourcefulness out of the turians than they did.

Hannah mentioned how overwhelming it was trying to wrap her mind around the information concerning the larger galaxy. Steven warned her that more data would follow. Already new technologies were being appropriated and trade routes were bound to open between humanity and other species.

After a lengthy discussion about the impact of different alien species on humanity and where the future might take their own race, they moved back into the living room. Steven continued to speak the most. Hannah loved listening to him. He was engaging and commanded attention, but her mind was still partially occupied with worry over Daniel, who usually didn't stay silent in conversation. He'd barely said a word, only speaking up a couple times when Steven addressed him directly.

Hannah learned that Steven had joined the military at a young age and had advanced quickly, much like her. They shared quite a bit in common as he also had spent most of his time ferrying explorers into the galaxy. However, through the war, he had caught the attention of the higher ups and was going to be promoted, so now he was waiting to see where they would post him.

Hannah was caught off guard when Steven brought up her own past. "Are you really Hannah Collier, the expert marksman?"

Hannah creased her eyebrows, wondering how he even knew that. "I guess."

"The drill sergeants hold your marksmanship up as an example in basic training." Steven turned to Daniel. "You didn't tell me she was Hannah Collier."

Daniel smiled with half his mouth. "Thinking about her skill with a rifle doesn't exactly bring back a pleasant memory."

Steven glanced between them. Not sensing any animosity, he plunged ahead. "Why is that?"

Hannah felt her cheeks go red. "We kind of met after a competition between the both of us. I won."

"Oh," Steven intoned, looking back to Daniel. "So she beat you, huh?"

Now Daniel chuckled quietly. "In more ways than one." He eyed his wife with a knowing look.

"I think I'll just stop there and not ask," Steven said.

The evening wore into night and Jane was put through her nightly ritual then hustled off to bed after saying goodnight to their guest. Hannah made sure Steven was comfortable, then she and Daniel retreated to their own bedroom. As she got ready for bed, Hannah kept Daniel in her peripheral vision. Something was definitely off. He moved around listlessly, like he didn't much care what he was doing. He said nothing to her and climbed into bed, closing his eyes. Hannah turned off her bedside light, then slid in next to him and found his hand under the covers. Daniel let her hold it which she thought was a good sign, maybe an open door for her to talk to him.

"Do you want to…talk about Shanxi?"

"Why?" Daniel didn't say it with a challenging tone, but in a dead even voice.

"Your last message you said you never wanted to go back there, never wanted to see an alien again."

Daniel remained silent for a good minute, then spoke. "It was nothing. I don't know why I wrote that. It's nothing."

Hannah knew it _wasn't_ nothing. Something had happened. But Daniel let go of her hand and rolled over. She didn't feel pressing the matter would help anything right now. _Just let him get some sleep_, Hannah instructed herself. _Ask again in the morning._

* * *

When morning arrived, Hannah woke before Daniel. He was sleeping so soundly she got up as quietly as possible, washed herself in the sink and snuck out through the bedroom door. She tiptoed down the hall, not wanting to disturb Steven, but when she entered the living room she found him already awake, sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, holding up his cup. "I found the coffee and made myself some."

"No, that's fine," Hannah assured. "You're welcome to whatever you need while you're with us."

Hannah started to walk towards the kitchen, but Steven spoke again. "Can I talk to you…confidentially?"

Hannah paused to assess his gaze. She read concern in his blue eyes. "Uh…Okay."

Steven glanced down the hall. "Is Daniel still asleep?"

"Yes." Hannah eyed Steven warily, speculating why he spoke so clandestinely. She sat down on the chair next to the couch.

Steven set his cup down on the coffee table, straightened where he sat, then linked his fingers together and brought his pointer fingers to his chin, contemplating how to say what was on his mind. "I met Daniel when he first arrived on board the Galileo. We got along right away, spent a lot of time chatting in the mess. He's a good man and I'm worried about him."

He peered over at Hannah as if expecting her to say something, but she remained silent so he continued. "I don't know what happened down on Shanxi. I was only involved in the space battle. All I know is, when he came back up to the ship, he had changed. He wouldn't talk to the other men and kept to himself all the way home." Steven lowered his hands from his chin and leaned back on the couch. "I was actually ordered to stay on Arcturus, but I convinced my captain to let me wait out my promotion on Mythos. I didn't want Daniel going home alone. And since he talked about you and his little girl all the time, I knew he had a good family. He needs help and I don't know how to get it for him. I haven't even been able to get out of him what happened."

Hannah's eyes flicked for an instant to the closed bedroom door. Scrutinizing Steven, she recognized his genuine care and she knew she could trust him. "I tried to ask him last night, but he said it was nothing."

Steven shook his head. "Well, keep after him. He has something on his mind and I have a feeling if he doesn't speak about it at some point, it's going to destroy him."

Hannah considered what Steven had said, then stood. "Thank you." She walked into the kitchen and pulled out the ingredients she would need to make four omelets. She was grateful Steven had accompanied Daniel home. The fact that he had gone out of his way to follow her husband home intensified her desire to figure out what was wrong with Daniel. She had to find out why he hated Shanxi.

* * *

Once Daniel and Jane had risen, the family and Steven ate the omelets, Steven conceding that her cooking was much better than food onboard the Galileo. Jane insisted they go to the arboretum now that Daniel had returned. He assented and they turned the morning into a family outing, Steven coming along.

They walked the paths of the arboretum and talked, Hannah and Steven once again carrying the bulk of the conversation. Daniel strolled with Jane, holding her hand and speaking sparingly, mainly listening to her chatter.

"Daddy, do you know there are aliens out there?" Jane asked once.

Daniel had abruptly let go of her hand, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "Yes."

"Did you see them?"

"Yeah." Daniel was clearly uncomfortable talking about the subject.

"What did they look like?"

"Haven't you seen the news?" His words came out harshly and Jane drew back from him. He sighed and knelt to her level. "I'm sorry, Jane. They look…very different from us. Maybe when we get home, your mommy can show you pictures on her data pad, okay?"

"Okay." Hannah was glad Jane was so resilient, immediately moving from hurt by his harsh words to content with his explanation.

After walking the arboretum, Hannah suggested they lunch at one of the local places. They ate at a small café, where they sat at a table on the patio. Hannah questioned Steven regarding his promotion.

"Well, I don't want to toot my own horn," he deferred demurely.

"Captain," Daniel said, his eyes smiling at Steven. "He can be modest, but I'll tell you that he's being promoted from 1st Lieutenant to captain."

"Wow," Hannah spoke. "That's quite a leap. Congratulations."

Steven grinned. "Let's just say the brass was impressed with what I did in the battle up top."

"What did you do?" Hannah asked.

"I was only on a carrier, but there was an opening to take down one of the capital ships of the enemy. It wasn't what I did with the carrier that mattered; it was the strategy I recommended to my captain. Resulted in the destruction of an enemy ship and most of its fighters."

Hannah had to confess internally that she was slightly jealous. Steven had achieved one of her goals in one battle—becoming a captain of her own ship. He had to be an amazing officer. She felt a stare on her and looked over to see Daniel's eyes fixed on her, hard and annoyed. She couldn't fathom what his problem was. He turned from her and attended to Jane, helping her spoon her food.

Talk turned to the turians again. Hannah discussed what she'd learned on the news, that in their culture the military was central, every turian employed in some type of career tied to it, whether in an army or navy or the core of engineers.

"That's all I really know," Hannah said. "The news reports haven't delved much into the domestics of any of the races. I don't really know how they interact or what their personal lives must be like."

"Why do you even care?" Daniel blurted out, his eyebrows knit in anger.

Hannah was bewildered by Daniel's exclamation. "I…well, I just wonder what they're like. I mean, if there are all these new races in the galaxy, it would be good to know something about them personally. We'll have to get to know them sometime."

"Or maybe we'd be better not knowing anything at all," Daniel stated angrily.

Hannah glanced fleetingly at Steven, discerning the worry evident in his eyes, then looked back to Daniel who had observed the silent understanding that passed between his wife and friend. Daniel's face clouded over in barely contained rage. He stood up suddenly.

"I'm done eating. I'll see you later." With that, he stomped off down the broad hall next to the patio.

Hannah watched him go, utterly taken aback. This was _not_ her husband, not the man she loved.

"Why is daddy upset?" Jane fixed Hannah with big, worried eyes.

"He's okay, honey," Hannah said, trying to calm Jane's fears. "At least I hope," she whispered under her voice.

"I can talk to him," Steven offered.

"No," Hannah said, looking at the lieutenant. "He's _my_ husband. I don't want you to risk your friendship with him. Look, thank you for hanging in there with him. I'm sorry for the way he's acting."

"You don't need to apologize," Steven contended, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "I knew how he was acting before I came here and I came anyway, my choice."

Hannah, Jane and Steven finished their meal, then walked back to the apartment. Hannah searched the dwelling, but Daniel was nowhere to be found. Her stomach churned as she worried where he had got to and why he hadn't come home. The afternoon crawled by. Steven gratefully wasn't bothered by Jane's continual requests for play and obliged, noting she had an impressive array of model starships. Jane also showed him her fish tank and bragged all about how daddy had given it to her on her birthday.

As evening approached, Hannah went ahead and served dinner. The conversation was awkward and mainly peppered with Jane's childlike conversation. After they had eaten, Hannah quickly rinsed the dishes and threw them in the wash. She insisted Jane go to bed early, which was met with some resistance from the toddler, but she eventually ended up in bed. She stubbornly had wanted Daniel to read to her, but Hannah convinced her that daddy was out and mommy would have to do.

With Jane in bed, Hannah made her way back to the living room. Steven sat on the couch. "You want me to go look for him?"

"No, I'm going. I hope you don't mind me leaving you with Jane."

Steven waved his hand. "No problem. Believe it or not, I have a sister just a little older than her."

Hannah cocked her head. "Your parents probably didn't plan on that."

"Nope," Steven smiled. "Total surprise. Anyway, I'm used to a kid that age. I can manage. You go find him."

"Thanks," Hannah said as she passed through the front door. Once it slid closed behind her and she stood alone in the hall, she took a long breath. _Where could he be? _she asked inside, pondering where to begin her search.

* * *

Hannah felt she had hiked the entirety of Mythos. She'd traversed the arboretum, checked every restaurant, paced the docks, and scoured the military installation. She'd then asked herself where someone would go who wanted to get away from life for a while and it hit her—the bars. She hadn't thought about them earlier because although she and Daniel had gone to bars when they were first married, they'd basically set those aside since Jane came along.

Now, Hannah wandered to the entertainment district of the station. There were only three bars on Mythos, all of them small affairs, restricted in space due to military regulations. One of them catered to officers only. She'd been there a few times for celebrations with fellow officers from her ship. Another did business mainly with civilians and included gaming options. The third was the least popular, being the sparsest of the three, only offering a small selection of drinks and a few tables. It was at this one that Hannah finally spied Daniel when the door slid open. He sat at a table in the far corner, a glass in front of him. As she approached, she noticed his eyes were glazed over and she shook her head. Daniel drank, but never to excess, not like this.

Hannah sat down across from him. It took a moment, but he became aware of her presence, blinking his eyes to focus on her. "Hey," he muttered, his voice slurring the word.

"Hey," she answered, pushing back in the chair.

"Want something?"

"No."

"A pretty woman like you deserves a drink."

"Daniel, I'm your wife not just some 'pretty woman.'"

"C'mon, let me get you a drink."

"What I want to do is get you out of here," Hannah stated.

Daniel took a breath and reached over for the glass. Hannah swiped it away. "You've had enough."

Daniel looked tired as he dropped his arm and slumped in the chair. Hannah waved down a server. "Can you call us a shuttle?" The server nodded and left. Hannah stood and huddled in a quieter corner of the bar. She pressed her comm unit, calling up the apartment. Steven answered and she explained that she'd found Daniel, but they wouldn't be coming home directly. Steven assured it was no problem, that Jane hadn't awoken.

Hannah returned to the table to find Daniel with his hands folded, staring around the room as if he wasn't sure where he was. _At least he's a quiet drunk_, Hannah thought to herself.

When the shuttle arrived, she had it ferry them to the military installation. She helped Daniel walk down to her unit's offices. There was a lounge there, empty now that everyone had gone home for the night. She helped him lay down on the couch and it wasn't long before he fell asleep. Hannah plopped into a recliner across from the couch with her left leg tucked underneath her. She put an elbow on the armrest and rested her chin in her hand, staring at Daniel. Her heart ached for him. Something terribly wrong had happened to him. All she wanted was to take whatever it was off his shoulders. She found herself desperately wishing she had gone to Shanxi and he had stayed home.

* * *

Around 0300 hours, Hannah was startled from sleep by a cough. Opening her eyes, she found herself looking up at the ceiling of the lounge. Her back ached and her neck was stiff. She sat up and stretched, realizing she'd dozed off in the recliner. She looked across at the couch. Daniel was awake and sitting up, his head bowed. He coughed again, then gazed at her in embarrassment.

"Sorry you had to come find me."

"You're my husband," Hannah said, yawning and covering her mouth with her hand. "I was worried." She looked at him pointedly.

He took a breath and closed his eyes, leaning back against the couch. "Well, then, you found me. So let's go home." He began to stand up, but Hannah interrupted his action.

"No way, Daniel Shepard," she reprimanded. "You aren't going home. Not until you tell me what is making you act like a jackass."

"It's nothing!" Daniel hissed, his anger flaring up once more.

"You already said that before and I'm not buying it."

Daniel shifted on the couch, then suddenly looked directly at her. "What's with you and Steven?

"What?" Hannah exclaimed, not understanding what Steven had to do with anything. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been talking to him a lot, chatting him up all the time, sharing secret glances."

"You've hardly said a word to him! What do you expect me to do? He's our guest."

"Then what's with you guys eyeing each other all the time?"

Hannah folded her arms over her chest. "Cut the crap, Daniel. You know. He's worried about you just like I am. You aren't being you."

Daniel concentrated on the couch, picking at the upholstery. "I did kind of wonder why Steven wanted to go to Mythos to wait out his promotion. He's a good man."

Hannah could agree with that. "He is."

"Problem is," Daniel said quietly, "He wasn't even on the ground. He didn't see what I saw."

Hannah sensed that if she pushed a little more, the truth would appear just around the corner. "And what did you see? Is it what happened to the colonists that's bothering you?"

Daniel shook his head, still engrossed with the fabric of the couch. "That was bad. Sad. Most of the colonists that died were caught early on in orbital strikes. Some of them starved to death, too, then. But once the…" Daniel hesitated as if he didn't want to utter the next word, "turians occupied the colony, they didn't bother the colonists much as long as they didn't try to rebel."

"Alright. Then what's the problem? Firing on the enemy?"

Daniel snorted derisively. "No, that was the easy part. Your lieutenant says shoot, so you shoot."

"Then what happened?"

Daniel looked up at her, anger and distress seething from his eyes. "Can't we just let this go? I don't want to go there, Hannah." He once again found the couch cushions entirely interesting.

"Do you know what Maddock told me after you were wounded on Demeter?" Hannah asked Daniel, referring to Planet 627 by the name its colonists had given it.

Daniel peered over at her and shook his head. "You never told me."

Hannah took a deep breath. "He made me talk about my guilt, the fact that I blamed myself for you getting hurt. He said that talking about it got it out in the open where it couldn't control me anymore. He said not talking about it would destroy me."

Daniel bit his lip and then looked down at the couch again, not responding to Hannah's revelation.

"Daniel," Hannah spoke softly, "This thing, whatever it is, it's killing you from the inside out. If you don't work it through…" Hannah's voice faltered. What she wanted to do was scream, "Talk to me! Why won't you just talk to me? Trust me!" But yelling she knew wouldn't help him to open up. She breathed in and out slowly, then continued.

"Jane doesn't deserve an angry father."

Daniel's head snapped up. "What?"

"This thing makes you an angry man, scary to be around. She doesn't deserve that."

Daniel shook his head and turned his eyes to the ceiling. After a time, he looked back at Hannah, his eyes portraying deep hurt. "I'm acting like my dad." He laughed sadly. "Just like him."

Hannah couldn't affirm or deny Daniel's statement. She had never met his father. All she knew about Daniel's dad was that living with him had been difficult and that when his dad left the family, Daniel only saw him once or twice afterwards.

Hannah stood up from the recliner and walked over to the couch, sitting next to Daniel. She looked earnestly into his eyes. "Please, Daniel. Just tell me what happened. I'll carry the burden with you. Just give me the opportunity. I'm your wife!"

Daniel sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, staring into the distance. "I keep seeing them in my head. I can't get them out."

"Who?" Hannah felt her heart pumping anxiously, afraid to hear his words, yet ready for him to finally tell her the truth.

Daniel focused his gaze on his hands. "The battles on the ground were quick and short lived. The turian ground troops fled, I guess trying to get to shuttles, escape to their starships. A bunch of them were killed while retreating." He paused. "We were just so elated we won the battles, you know, happy they had left." Daniel rubbed a hand over his eyes. Hannah waited patiently, hoping he would continue.

Daniel took another long breath. "Then that ship came in, the council one, and word came down that there had been this truce and the turians wanted their dead to take back to their home planet." Daniel stopped again and when he didn't continue, Hannah felt brave enough to touch his arm and prompt him.

"And…"

Daniel leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, his chin resting on the palms of his hands. "And, of course, the Alliance wasn't going to let the turians come back for the corpses because even though this council seemed legitimate, you just never know when a trap is being laid, especially since we didn't even know all these aliens existed until their ship showed up. So the task fell to the marines to gather the bodies for transport. My unit was assigned a section of the colony. We hauled them to a field, lined them up across it."

Hannah's stomach had dropped as she pictured Daniel witnessing so many dead bodies gathered in one spot. She squeezed his arm and he responded by sitting up and patting the hand on his arm. "That wasn't bad, really. I mean, not right off."

Daniel stood up suddenly and started to pace back and forth, wringing his hands several times as if getting himself psyched up to continue his story. He walked over to the recliner and sat down, his head bowed as he studied his hands again.

"So, we lined the bodies up. And there was this one corpse, the turian must have been shot in the face, because it was basically gone. Anyway, when I dragged him over to the line, this small device fell out of somewhere in his armor. I picked it up, you know, curious what it was. It looked like a tiny data pad of some kind. Well, I wondered if it was more advanced than ours. So I tried to find a way to turn it on."

Hannah felt her chest tighten. "What was it?"

"I guess you'd call it a photo and video album. When it came on, it started this video." Daniel raised his eyes and looked straight at Hannah. "I couldn't understand the language, but it was a video of him and what I think was a female turian and these two little ones. The children were playing and he was embracing the female, holding the device out to take the video I think. Then that ended and I managed to flip through some more. Lots of pictures, a couple more videos, one I think was the birth of one of his kids."

Daniel covered his face with his hands and coughed sharply. When he removed his hands, Hannah could see mist in Daniel's eyes. Daniel had never cried, not the entire time she had known him. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"He had a family, Hannah, a wife and kids. And when I looked down that line of corpses, they didn't look like faceless monsters anymore. They were real living beings who had real lives and families that depended on them." He paused and breathed slowly, staring her in the eyes. "It was so easy up to that moment to see them as nothing but the evil invading alien force that deserved to be killed for daring to touch a human colony. That's what the Admiral said in his speech before we hit the ground. But when I saw that video, it's like I saw through the lie. All those bodies, each a person…I guess I mean, turian…with a real life that went beyond the war."

Hannah breathed quietly, thinking of what to say. Her husband had been touched by war, but victory hadn't enthralled him; victory had revealed that in winning someone else lost bitterly. "It wasn't your fault. The turians started the war to begin with. You were just defending the colony."

Daniel shook his head. "That just makes it worse. The turians attacked us for what? Because we were a new species that didn't know what we were doing? And this turian, with the wife and kids, he's just pulled in like me. Maybe he didn't want to be there. Maybe he wanted to be with his family, but his leaders say shoot, so he shoots…and dies."

Hannah twisted her hands, not knowing what to say. She recalled something else Maddock had said to her back at Demeter. "Maddock told me once that in the military we're bound to lose men. I'm sure the turians knew that, too."

"I'm sure their leaders did. But did he? I can't stop seeing them as this happy family, not a care in the world and then there's him lying there with his face blown off. And someone had to go home and tell his family he wasn't coming back and he'd left his kids as orphans."

"Daniel…" Hannah was cut off.

"Don't try and make it sound any better, please, Hannah," Daniel pleaded, his wounded eyes piercing to her heart. "Nothing will make it better. I can tell myself all day that I did what I had to. I believe that, I do. But it doesn't change that turians and men died at Shanxi and they never went home and their families are alone now. It doesn't change the fact that it could easily have been me."

Hannah stood up and walked over to the recliner. She reached out to take his hands and Daniel let her. She lifted up his arms, then sat down in his lap, putting her arms around his neck. "But it wasn't you. You're here now, safe and sound and we need you to be here, not living back in Shanxi."

Daniel sighed and nodded. "I know you're right. But me being in the reserves, it's like a crapshoot, Hannah, a risk I don't want to take anymore."

Hannah looked into his face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm quitting the reserves. I can't do that again. If they called me up, I'd desert and that wouldn't be good for any of us."

"But, your life has been the military."

"It's more the docks now than anything else. I don't look at it like I'm losing anything at all. Military never meant much to me but a job. Anyway, I've turned in my resignation. Actually, I did that on the way home. I'm done with the Alliance Navy. Present company excepted, of course."

"So, you don't mind that I still want to captain a starship?" Hannah asked, concern in her voice.

Daniel shook his head. "Just promise me you'll stay in the stars and keep ferrying explorers. I can take that."

Hannah smiled sadly. "I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. Seems to me all current promotions happened in the war I missed."

Daniel put an arm around Hannah's shoulders and leaned back in the recliner. "Don't be jealous of Steven. He was in the right place at the right time. There's more than one way to become a captain." Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm glad I told you. But I still see that turian family. I don't think I'll forget them for the rest of my life."

"You can't change what's happened to them, Daniel, but you _can_ be here for _your_ family. We need you here. Please be here."

Daniel pulled her into a hug. "I'll try. I'll be here. Just give me time, okay?"

"Okay."

"Speaking of time, what time is it?"

Hannah glanced at the digital clock on the wall right above the recliner. "0330."

"We need to go home."

"Yeah."

Daniel pushed the recliner back up to a sitting position. Before he let go of Hannah, he embraced her tightly. "Don't ever die on me, Hannah. I don't think I could take it."

"The same goes for you," she answered back.

Daniel nodded. "I don't plan on leaving for a long time. I'm gonna let you love me when I'm old and wrinkled."

Hannah smiled widely. "As long as you'll love me when my hair's gone gray and my breasts sag to my knees."

"It's a deal," Daniel agreed. Hannah stood up off his lap and took his hand as they left the lounge.


	9. Citadel

Hannah rubbed her eyes as a persistent beeping sounded in her cabin. She flicked on the light next to her bed and reached over for her tiny comm link, placing it in her ear.

"Yes?" she spoke out, her voice picked up by the receiver sewn into her uniform.

"We're arriving, Commander. I thought you'd like to join me on the bridge."

"Thank you, sir. I'll be there ASAP." Hannah stood, still wiping sleep from her eyes and stumbled to the sink in her room. She splashed some water on her face and ran a toothbrush over her teeth, then bolted through her cabin door. In the hall, she walked swiftly, but purposefully, wanting to keep the appearance of composed authority. She entered the elevator at the end of the hall and anxiously waited for it to ascend. When it opened onto the bridge, she stepped off and hastily marched up next to Captain Hackett.

"Sir," Hannah spoke, greeting him.

Steven turned to her with a soft smile. "Commander. Take a look." He turned back to the windshield of the frigate and Hannah followed his gaze. She saw a large object looming through the glass. Her heart beat in anticipation as the ship drew closer, the object becoming clearer, revealing a vast complex with five arms radiating from a central ring. For the first time, she beheld with her own eyes the Citadel, central station of the entire galaxy and housing the influential Citadel Council. Hannah could hardly believe she was here, about to see the Citadel and its aliens for herself.

Steven had called her up four months ago, offering her the opportunity to join him on his ship, the SSV Agincourt. He had an opening for a Lieutenant Commander and remembered how she'd always expressed a deep interest in the alien races of the galaxy. He had let her in on some confidential intel—his ship would be accompanying a delegation from the Systems Alliance to the Citadel. Hannah had wanted to jump at the chance, but didn't know what Daniel would think. When she'd hesitantly asked him if he would mind, he'd flashed a large smile and explained that Steven had contacted him before her, asking permission to bring his wife along on his ship. Daniel couldn't imagine not giving her the chance to see aliens in person.

So it was that Hannah found herself on the Agincourt, standing next to Steven, gazing at the Citadel. Having turned thirty last year, Hannah had depressingly reassessed her life, passing a milestone that caused her to ruminate on her career. She'd wanted to be a captain by thirty, but it hadn't happened. When Steven called, she felt like being assigned to the Agincourt was an answer to the fear she would end up being stationed on carriers indefinitely. As she stared at the station floating outside the ship, she felt she had finally accomplished something, if only just being able to insert herself into the social center of the galaxy.

The Agincourt slowed down and hovered several kilometers from the Citadel.

"Sir, we've taken up our position with the fleet," the helmsman reported.

"Well done," Steven replied, then turned to an officer standing to his left. "Inform the crew that once the delegation has left the Elbrus, we will begin rotating for shore leave."

"Yes, sir."

Steven turned his head to Hannah, speaking in a lower voice, his tone of command absent. "What do you think?"

"It's quite impressive. I can't believe I'm this close to it."

Steven nodded to her. "Would you like to be one of the first from the ship to step foot on it? I'm going over as soon as we're settled here. I've been allowed to take a select number of the crew with me for the first round of shore leave."

Hannah grinned at him, letting her military guard down for just a moment. "Thanks. Of course I want to come with you."

* * *

Hannah traipsed back to her cabin, elated. In approximately forty minutes, she'd be on a shuttle and on her way to the Citadel, seeing its inside for herself. It had been five years since the First Contact War and although much had changed technologically and socially for humanity, she still hadn't met any aliens in person. She felt both excited and nervous at the prospect of discovering the races of the wider galaxy.

Hannah packed her bag quickly. She wouldn't be on the station long, maybe two days at the most, so she packed light. She picked up her data pad. It was a newer model, influenced by alien technology. She tapped the screen and it lit up. She wanted to send a message to Daniel and Jane, letting them know she had arrived at the Citadel. She noticed that a new message was waiting for her from Jane. She pressed the subject line and up popped the message.

_Hi mom! I'm sending you a short report I wrote for school. I got a 100! It was for history class. We had to interview our parents about the First Contact War. I interviewed dad. Sorry I didn't ask you, but he kind of was in it. Anyway, I've attached it. Hope you get to the Citadel safely. Can't wait to hear which aliens you get to meet! Jane_

Hannah smiled at the message. Jane was only eight, almost nine, but sounded so much more mature than she was. She excelled in school, the rate at which she devoured information astonishing both Hannah and Daniel. Hannah tapped the attachment and the report appeared on her data pad.

_Historical Event: The First Contact War Interviewee: Daniel Shepard, my dad_

_My dad fought in The First Contact War. He was on the SSV Galileo, but he was a marine, so he fought on the ground and helped free Shanxi from the turian invasion. My dad said he was proud to help the colonists._

_Even though my dad fought in the war, he said that war should be avoided if at all possible. My dad said that humans and aliens should try to get along and support each other, not fight each other. We have a lot to offer each other and the galaxy can only get better if all the races get along._

_I think my dad is right. Every culture is unique and I hope I get to meet aliens some day to learn about them. So, the First Contact War was good because it helped Shanxi, but also good because it introduced humanity to the galaxy. I also think it was good the Citadel Council came to stop the war so we could all get along._

Hannah took a deep breath. It was a good report, not only because Jane had got an A, but also because it revealed Daniel was willing to talk about the war with her. He had avoided discussing it with her as she grew and Hannah wondered if he would ever be willing to share with Jane what he had learned. Apparently he had grown as well as Jane over the last five years.

Hannah quickly sent a message back to Jane, congratulating her on her report, letting her know she had arrived at the Citadel and instructing her to tell Daniel she loved him. Then she shoved the data pad into her bag and headed for the door, eager to get to the shuttle that would ferry her over to the Citadel.

* * *

Once on the Citadel, Hannah found her attention pulled in several different directions all at once. There were aliens aplenty. Hannah identified them as she walked along: asari, turian, krogan, volus, hanar, salarian, elcor and on and on. Over the last five years she had read all the material humanity had received on the alien races both about their cultures and their histories. She'd learned about the krogan and the Rachni Wars and knew there was a statue somewhere in the Citadel commemorating the krogans' role in stopping the Rachni. She knew about the war between the quarians and the geth and that the quarians had been forced off their home world onto ships as their perpetual homes. She knew about the turians' own civil war called the Unification War. She knew pretty much anything there was to know that could be found in a book, but what she didn't have was actual experience with aliens herself. So as she passed the aliens on the Citadel, she tried not to stare, but couldn't help studying every one she walked by, curious about who he or she was and what history he or she had seen.

Added to her interest in the aliens was the Citadel itself. It was full of movement, aliens walking every which way, keepers (she'd read a book on the Citadel that mentioned them) strolling down the hallways, shops galore doing business, restaurants catering to patrons and entertainment venues flashing signs that displayed their services. There was almost too much to take in.

"Have you been here before?" Hannah asked Steven, who was keeping step beside her.

"A couple times. I've escorted other delegations. The Systems Alliance would like an embassy here at some point."

"So, where are we headed?"

Steven smiled. "The Presidium. You'll love the view." He stopped at an elevator and punched a button. When the door opened, they entered and Steven pressed another button. When the elevator stopped, Hannah found the door opening onto a breathtaking sight. Beyond a waist high wall lining the hallway in front of them, Hannah beheld a shimmering lake complete with fountains. Greenery poked up along walkways and stood in corners. There was even a "sky." Hannah had read the sky was artificial, designed to give the inhabitants of the Citadel the feeling that they lived in a natural environment. What surprised her was the pleasant feeling that filled her as a breeze flitted over her face.

"Did I just feel a slight breeze?" she asked as they descended some steps to move closer to the lake.

"Yep. They made this part of the Citadel as close to a lush paradise as possible."

As they strolled along the lake, Hannah gazed at the fountains and sighed. This certainly was a sight worth seeing. She wished Daniel and Jane could have come along and seen it with her. Maybe they should plan a family holiday sometime and come to the Citadel.

"Do humans come here often?" Hannah asked.

"Sometimes," Steven answered, walking along with his hands behind his back. "The human presence has been growing slowly."

Hannah perceived the "sky" above them lessening in intensity. "It's getting darker, moving towards its night cycle."

"There's a really good restaurant on the second level down at the end," Steven mentioned. "I figured the least I could do was treat you to dinner. I want Daniel to know I treated his wife right while she was with me."

Hannah nodded, accepting his proposal. She really liked Steven Hackett. He and Daniel had continued to be good friends. She knew facing the First Contact War together had cemented their friendship. Hannah had discovered early on that combat often bound soldiers to one another.

As they approached the restaurant, Hannah whistled. "Wow. The Citadel Tower is so much more amazing in person."

Steven glanced up at the immense tower that contained the Council Chambers and its offices. "This place takes your breath away," he agreed.

They spent the evening dining at what Hannah thought must have been a five star restaurant. She hadn't eaten so well in a long time. Several other officers joined them and she enjoyed the company. Many of the officers had been to the Citadel before, but the ones who hadn't were just as awed as her. A few had been to the shops and their purchases convinced her to seek the shops out after dinner.

Hannah walked alone, savoring nighttime as it displayed its splendor in the Presidium, the "sky" having dimmed and its artificial lights now twinkling like stars above her. She bought an alien starship model for Jane. She would have liked to have purchased a fish, but all the fish were alien in nature and she didn't know if they would be compatible with the Earth fish already in Jane's tank back on Mythos.

She also spent some time listening to Avina, the Citadel's VI, to learn as much as she could about the station. In her mind she constructed a map of the Citadel for future reference. As she made her way to the room she would be staying in overnight (a small group of rooms had been rented by the Systems Alliance for shore leave), she caught sight of an imposing turian, large in stature, a determined look in his eye. He stood with his hand on his omni-tool, apparently hard at work. He was muttering to himself and she couldn't help but be slightly interested in his conversation as he finally put his hand to the side of his head to talk to someone on the other end of his comm link. She paused for a moment to glance over a balcony so she could eavesdrop, glad she'd been fitted with a translator for the duration of her stay.

"I haven't found any evidence of foul play," he spoke brusquely, his voice deep and flanging, his mandibles twitching in irritation. He paused, apparently listening. "It _was_ a human who reported the incident. With their unstable emotions, it was probably a mistake." Hannah felt anger boil and she immediately took offense at his statement inside. He had stopped to listen again, then continued. "It's not necessary." Another pause, then, "Vakarian out." He marched off down the hall and Hannah turned to watch him go. The war may have ended five years ago, but apparently there was still no love lost between humans and turians.

* * *

The next morning Hannah rose early and accompanied the other officers back to the Presidium to find a place for breakfast. After they ate, they split up and went their different directions, each intent on his or her own designs of how best to enjoy the Citadel.

Hannah found herself alone by virtue of the fact that she had decided to check out the wards on the Citadel. One officer had told her it was best to stay in the Presidium where security was effective and the "riff-raff" didn't assemble. But Hannah wanted to see how the other spectrum lived, the other classes of aliens that weren't as well off as those that could afford permanent residence in the Presidium.

As she walked the Upper Wards, Hannah perceived that the aliens here were middle class, as the shops, restaurants and entertainment venues offered services in a mid-range of credits. She observed fewer humans in the Upper Wards, but they were there nonetheless. She did catch a few glances sent her way, though she didn't feel any threat behind them, just curiosity.

Mid-morning, she found herself in the Lower Wards, which were obviously a scale down from the Upper Wards. Larger groups hung about, some of them clearly unsavory. Systems Alliance officers hadn't been allowed to bring any weapons onto the Citadel. Humans hadn't gained enough respect yet to be trusted to carry guns freely on the central station of the galaxy. Still, Hannah didn't feel any fear. She could take care of herself if she needed to and no one had approached her in animosity.

Hannah wandered through a few shops. The Alliance Navy had just recently been issued omni-tools. She noticed several upgrades for omni-tools, though she'd left hers back at her room. She wasn't quite used to wearing it yet and kept forgetting to put it on.

She'd finally decided to leave the Lower Wards when she spotted a club that was already open for business early in the day. She couldn't read the title of the club which was flashing in neon blue, but it looked interesting from the outside. She was curious to see aliens in a relaxed environment; maybe she'd even get to talk to one.

Hannah walked to the door of the club and slipped inside. It was noisy, if only because of the loud music pounding through the room. There were more patrons present than Hannah expected for the time of day. By the looks of many of them, they'd spent the night in the place. As Hannah glanced around, she realized she was the only human in the club. It felt awkward being in the minority and she almost left, but then noticed an asari bartender staring at her with an open and welcoming smile.

Hannah sauntered over to the bar and sat on one of the stools. The asari nodded his or her head to her. Hannah knew the asari were mono-gendered. So, was it him or her? Hannah considered the asari the most beautiful race in the galaxy and found they were even more so up close as she studied the bartender's flawless blue skin and shapely face.

"Alliance Navy?" the bartender asked in a feminine, though deep voice.

"Yes," Hannah replied glancing down at her navy blue uniform.

"I'm guessing you have shore leave? I heard there was a human delegation on the Citadel."

"Yes, I'm with the fleet."

"Well, welcome to Gian's."

"Thanks. I was a little nervous to come in."

The asari smiled broadly. "We don't get many humans in the Lower Wards, not yet anyway. But I'm glad you came in. I'm fascinated with your species."

"Oh," Hannah said. Her own interest in aliens had occupied her thoughts over the last few years; it had never occurred to her that aliens might reciprocate with their own intense interest in humans. "How so?"

"You're a new race. There's so much to learn about who you are and what you're like. I've talked to a few humans."

"So…" Hannah decided to venture a question, "What do you think of us?"

The asari grinned. "I like you. You're young and adventurous. I've never been one for the stuffy Matriarchs of my own culture. I think I have a lot more in common with humans."

The bartender's mention of the Matriarchs made Hannah wonder how old the Asari was. "How old are you?"

"Six hundred fifty-one years. I guess I'm supposed to be moving towards being a Matriarch myself, but I really don't want to."

Hannah stared at the asari, finding it nearly impossible to comprehend her vast age. She then scanned the room, her eye stopping at the dance floor. A handful of patrons were dancing.

"You gonna go dance?"

Hannah snorted and looked back to the asari. "I've been told that really isn't what I'm good at."

"By humans?"

Hannah nodded.

"Well, maybe you look better to asari. Show me some moves."

Hannah felt a little embarrassed, but the asari's open way motivated her to stand. She swayed and spun until the asari started laughing.

"What?" she asked, sitting back down, slightly offended.

"Yeah, you can't dance. I think you should stick to drinking while you're in here. Don't want you causing a riot when they throw you out." The asari laughed again good-naturedly and Hannah found her defenses lowered as she could tell no insult was intended.

"Speaking of drinks…" Hannah said.

"What would you like?"

"Well, I haven't tried anything that's not human in origin yet."

"Ah. First alien drink. Let's see…" The bartender kneeled down and Hannah could hear glass bottles tinkling against each other underneath the bar. The asari popped up after a few seconds holding a decanter filled with an amber liquid.

"I'll start you light. Fesavi. It's batarian. Has a sweet aftertaste. Most humans I know like it." The bartender picked up a glass and poured the liquid into it, passing it to Hannah.

Hannah studied the drink, then took a sip and let it roll around in her mouth before she swallowed it. She nodded her head slowly. "Yeah, it's good."

"Thought you'd like it," the asari smiled. She glanced down the bar. "Sorry. I've got a couple others to attend to."

"No problem," Hannah said, taking another sip and watching the asari walk to the other end of the bar. She was about to continue consuming the drink when it was abruptly pulled from her hand. Turning, she found a batarian had appeared next to her. He was staring at her with all four of his eyes, his head tilted to his right. He had yellow and black markings immediately noticeable on the sides of his head. Hannah was well aware that the batarians had been disturbed by the advent of the humans into the galaxy. Both the humans and the batarians wanted to colonize the same area, the Skyllian Verge. Only a year and a half ago humanity had established its first colony in the region on Elysium.

"I don't want human filth tainting the glories of my home world," the batarian growled out. He downed the drink himself, swallowing it in one go.

"Excuse me?" Hannah spoke, her voice taut with threat.

The batarian placed the glass on the counter. "Get out, human." He spat the last word out like an insult.

Hannah's heart thumped in anger and offense. She stood up and folded her arms over her chest. "I have just as much right to be here as you do. You can leave if you don't like me."

The batarian moved close to her. They were about the same in height, so they met eye to eye, that is, she met the batarian's lower set of eyes. "I'll make you leave. Don't start a scene, human. Leave _now_."

Hannah shook her head. She didn't know if the batarian understood the gesture, but he reached out and grabbed her arm, apparently in an attempt to force her out of the club. Hannah twisted her arm out of his grasp. "Don't touch me," she warned.

The batarian didn't listen. He went to grab her again and instead found a fist connecting with his face, smashing into his lower right eye. He howled in pain and probably would have started an all out fight with Hannah if the asari bartender hadn't returned and intervened.

"He bothering you?" the asari asked Hannah, her forehead creased in anger.

"Yeah," Hannah said, rubbing her knuckles.

"Get out of here, Balak," the asari demanded. "I don't want to see you in here again."

Balak stood with a hand over his eye and glared down the asari, not moving toward the door.

"I'll call my bouncers and they'll throw you out if you don't get your feet moving towards that door."

Balak narrowed all four of his eyes at Hannah, but walked to the door, glancing back to give Hannah one last frown. The asari shook her head.

"He's a hothead, that one. Always causing trouble. I try to keep him out when possible."

Hannah sat back down, breathing quickly, steadying herself.

"You're impressive. Quick thinking and skilled with your fists. The Alliance Navy must have some good combat training."

"Yeah," Hannah agreed, fingering her empty glass. She'd never been confronted like that, prejudice directly aimed at her.

"Here, let me get you another drink, on the house." The asari poured the golden liquid into another glass and handed it to Hannah who drank it slowly. "Don't fret over Balak. He's not worth your thoughts."

Hannah smiled. "Good point."

"So…" the asari intoned, "You here alone?"

"Only with my fleet."

"Yeah, so, would you like to go out somewhere? I get off work in twenty minutes."

Hannah spluttered, recognizing her first proposition from an alien. She was slightly flattered, but mostly flustered. She raised her left hand and pointed at the ring on her finger.

"So, what's that mean? Yes? No?"

Hannah laughed. "I'm married."

"Oh!" The asari joined her in her laughter. "I guess you learn something new every day. Do all married humans wear a ring on their left hands?"

"Most," Hannah informed the asari.

"Got it. Look for a ring next time."

Hannah spent about ten more minutes at the bar, finishing her drink and chatting with the bartender who seemed to want to know everything about humans. She said good-bye and left the club, happy she'd made at least one alien friend on her visit to the Citadel.

Hannah spied the elevator at the end of the hall and made her way towards it. She was about halfway there when she passed a narrow hallway. Before she knew what was happening, she'd been grabbed from behind, a hand clapped over her mouth. She struggled against her attacker, who was pulling her down the hall towards a door at the far end. No one else was in sight. Hannah finally managed to break the hold on her and without even looking behind her, swung her leg around in an arc. She knew she'd connected with someone when she heard a deep throated groan and saw a form crumpled on the ground in the dark hallway. As the figure began to rise, another set of arms linked around her. There was more than one attacker. She recognized the figure that pushed himself up off the ground. It was the batarian from the bar.

As she struggled against the new set of arms that held her tightly, covering her mouth and hugging her waist, she watched Balak narrow his eyes at her. "Get her through the door." The second batarian had a tight grip on her and the first one followed, ready to catch her if she made a break for it. The door slid open and she was pushed through, landing on her hands and knees. She stood up and found herself encircled, counting eight batarians surrounding her, all of them angry and out for blood.


	10. Assault

Hannah met the sixteen pairs of eyes glowering at her with a glare of her own, scanning the group encircling her. She hoped she portrayed more confidence than she felt. Her eyes came to rest on Balak who stood directly across from her.

"So, you think yourself superior to batarians, do you?" he accused her, his voice rough and furious.

"I didn't say that," Hannah shot back, glancing once more at the group surrounding her, looking for a way out. The hallway she had been pushed into seemed unused. It was dimly lit and no one was in sight. She thought for a fleeting moment about the human children who had recently been revealed as possessing biotic abilities. She fervently wished she had those skills right now.

Balak pointed to his lower right eye. "_This_ proves your prejudice!" His eye was already beginning to sport a bruise where Hannah had punched him.

"You had no right to try and make me leave," Hannah protested, putting as much aplomb in her voice as she could muster.

Balak spit on the ground. "Humans! You're a blight on the galaxy, one that should be wiped out permanently."

Hannah wasn't sure what Balak had planned, but she didn't want to find out. In a sudden movement, she rushed to her right, doing her best to punch and kick the batarians that stood there out of the way. She knew her attempt to escape was feeble at best, but desperation pushed her to try it anyway. She failed. Several batarians were on her in an instant, dragging her backwards and pushing her to the ground. She found herself kneeling on the floor. She felt pressure on her legs and assumed a batarian was sitting on them. Another held her arms behind her back. She tried to yank herself out of his hold, but struggling seemed useless against the strength of the batarians that incapacitated her.

Balak approached her. He cupped her face tightly with his right hand, forcing her head up to look at him face-to-face. "You're going to learn your place, human!" He backhanded Hannah across the face so hard her head snapped to the side. Pain radiated through her jaw and neck and she tasted the tang of blood in her mouth.

Hannah shook her head and looked back up at Balak, her eyes angry. Balak didn't remain in view for long as a swift kick from his foot to her stomach caused her to double over. She groaned aloud and tried to suck in air, her breaths coming in short gasps. Next thing she knew, her head was forced back as Balak pulled aggressively on her ponytail. He grinned at her, obviously enjoying the pain he was inflicting upon her. "You'll never be better than us, human." He raised his fist, ready to punch her in the face, when a new voice shouted out from the left.

"Balak!"

Balak turned his head to see who had called out. A wave of shock passed over his features and he let go of Hannah's ponytail. Hannah tried to see who had spoken, but several batarians blocked her line of sight.

"Keta," Balak said in a hushed voice. For a moment, he stared as if unsure how to proceed, but then a determined and vicious look returned to his face. "The Hegemony's been looking for you."

"I'm well aware of that," the new voice answered. Hannah thought the voice sounded batarian, though higher in pitch.

"You know I'll tell them I found you," Balak said.

"Oh, you can do that if you want. But if you do, you _know_ you won't see the light of day again, you _or_ your lackeys." The batarians in the circle surrounding Hannah began to send each other uncertain looks, suddenly fearful.

"You can't kill us all," Balak tried to confront whoever belonged to the voice, but Hannah could tell even he didn't believe what he was saying.

"Maybe. But I'll kill you first. I should have done it by now. I'm sparing you, Balak, for old time's sake."

Balak growled out, apparently aware that the voice was all too accurate in its statements. "Why are you here?" he demanded to know.

"Let her go." The voice sounded deadly serious.

"What?" Balak looked stunned. "You're rescuing the human?"

"She's done nothing to you."

Balak pointed to his eye. "She insulted our home world when…"

"I saw what happened. I knew you wouldn't let it go. You've never been able to. You were at fault. Now, let her go, or your brains are going to decorate the wall."

"If I let her go, I'll find her again."

"She's coming with me and while she's on the Citadel, I'll consider her safety my number one assignment."

Balak uttered a fierce cry of frustration. He turned back to Hannah and waved to the batarians holding her, who reluctantly released her. Hannah stood shakily, her legs sore and partially asleep from the weight that had been put on them.

"Come to me," she heard the voice speak. She knew the command was directed at her, so she made her way towards it. As she passed the batarians who blocked her view of the owner of the voice, she beheld another batarian. This one was shorter than Balak and had a thinner face with red and black lines on the side of its head. Hannah got the impression this batarian was female. If this assumption was correct, _she_ was holding a shotgun pointed straight at Balak. Hannah limped over to stand next to the batarian.

"Walk that way," the batarian said, pointing with a thumb over her shoulder. As Hannah stumbled down the dim hall, the batarian followed, pacing backwards, keeping the gun aimed on Balak. When Hannah reached the end of the hall, the batarian whispered to her.

"Do you see the vent?"

Hannah looked around the corner. About half-way down the next hall a grate was laying on the floor next to an open vent. "Yes."

"Go get into it and move back to make room for me."

"Okay." Hannah sprinted to the vent. She found the inside narrow, but she was able to wriggle inside and pull herself down as far as she could. She glanced back at the opening just in time to see the batarian come sliding in, quickly replacing the grate, sealing it in place with her omni-tool.

"Go!" the batarian whispered urgently.

Hannah crawled down the vent, followed by the batarian. Shouts sounded outside, but Hannah perceived footsteps running past and not stopping. She struggled down the shaft until it intersected with another one, this one vertical with ladders above and below attached to its sides. Hannah pulled herself out of the horizontal shaft and balanced on a small ledge, moving to the side to allow the batarian to climb out next to her.

"Up," the batarian instructed, grabbing a hold of and ascending the nearest ladder. Hannah followed behind. After several minutes, the batarian stopped and stepped onto another ledge, then crawled into another horizontal shaft. Hannah copied the batarian's movements. When the batarian reached the end of the shaft, she disappeared. Hannah pulled herself towards another vent opening, pushing herself out into a brightly lit room. She felt a hand on her arm as the batarian helped her stand and walk over to a chair. Hannah sat gratefully.

"Your lip's busted," the batarian informed her. She put the shotgun on a bed and proceeded to rummage through a drawer, eventually returning with a tube of cream. "Put this on. It'll keep it from getting infected, maybe take away any residual pain."

"Thanks," Hannah muttered. It hurt to talk. Her lip felt like it was on fire and her mouth had swollen. The side of her face still burned where Balak had hit her. Hannah noticed a small sink against one wall. She walked over to it, turned the facet on and gently rinsed her face, appreciating the coolness of the water against her burning cheek. She returned to the chair and squirted some of the cream onto her finger, then carefully rubbed it over the sharp pain on her lip.

The batarian occupied the bed, her knees pulled into her chest, watching Hannah attend to her wound. Finally, when Hannah was finished, she met the batarian's gaze. "Thanks again, not just for this," she held up the tube of cream, "but for the rescue."

The batarian smiled. "I'd do anything to harass the Hegemony."

Hannah had heard only snippets about the batarian political situation. She knew it was ruled by the Hegemony, a strict government that controlled its population with an iron hand. Those batarians that were let out usually had some tie to its oppressive government.

"Are you…female?" Hannah asked. She felt awkward asking the question, but it was the only way to find out.

The batarian grinned widely. "Yes. Your first time to meet batarians?"

"Yeah," Hannah answered.

"Well you certainly met the wrong one to begin with."

"You can say that again," Hannah agreed, gingerly touching her swollen lip and wincing in pain.

"_Balak's_ the blight on the galaxy, not you."

Hannah couldn't help but laugh slightly. The batarian took a deep breath. "We'll wait a little. Then I'll get you back to the Presidium."

"Why did you intervene?" Hannah didn't know exactly what to think of the feminine batarian facing her. Batarians and humans didn't get along. Why would she go out of her way to get involved?

"I saw you punch Balak. You didn't let him push you around. I respect that, maybe even honor it, more than you know. You did better than I ever did."

Hannah cocked her head. "What's the history between you two?"

The batarian rested her chin on one of her hands. "We were lovers for a time. But he's young, ruthless and brutish. Not a good combination for a relationship."

Hannah nodded. She could agree with that.

The batarian shook her head. "The abuse I let him take out on me, well, it would have broken lesser batarians. I was made tough. Brought up to be tough. The Hegemony made me that way, so I withstood him."

"You're so…open with me," Hannah said. She remembered what Balak had said, that the Hegemony was after this batarian.

"I trust you. Don't ask me how I know it, but you're honest. I know you'll keep my secret. At least, I'm fairly certain the first thing you'll do when I say good-bye to you isn't running to the batarian ambassador to tell him where I am."

Hannah shook her head. "No, I won't be doing that."

"I knew you wouldn't. What concern am I to you?"

"Well," Hannah said, contemplating the question, "If you were ever in trouble, I'd gladly pay back the favor."

"Good to know." The batarian stood, walked over to Hannah and held out her hand. "Keta La'ali." Hannah shook her hand, surprised Keta knew the human gesture.

"Hannah Shepard." Keta sat back down on the bed and continued to stare at Hannah. There was a moment of silence. Hannah gazed around the room. It was small. There was the sink against the wall with a shower stall next to it. The chair she sat in and the bed Keta occupied filled the rest of the room. Yet even in its sparseness, the room was decorated tastefully—artsy figurines stood in the corners and portraits done by artists unknown to Hannah hung on the walls. Hannah's eyes fell on a rack that boasted several different types of weapons. She stood up and walked over to them. Some she could identify, others were new to her.

"You have quite an arsenal," Hannah commented.

"Hum…" Keta intoned. "How much do you want to know about me?"

Hannah looked to Keta, smiling at her open and direct way. "As much as you're willing to tell?"

Keta shifted on the bed, lying down, staring at the ceiling. "The Hegemony removed me from my family when I was five years old because I displayed 'unnatural talent.' Can you guess what that talent was?"

"Uh…" Hannah fingered one of the guns. "Shooting?"

Keta eyed Hannah. "Close…killing."

"At five?"

"Oh, I didn't kill anyone real at five. Just in virtual simulations. But that was enough for them." Keta focused her attention back to the ceiling. "So they put me into a training school. I excelled and by the time I graduated, I was working for the Hegemony—their top assassin."

Hannah had paced back over to the chair and now sat slowly, locking eyes with Keta who had turned to see how Hannah would handle the information. Hannah wasn't quite sure how to feel knowing she was sitting in a room with a professional assassin. Keta smiled slowly.

"I'm not exactly an assassin now, so there's no need to worry."

"Alright," Hannah said quietly.

Keta stretched her arms above her head and blinked all four of her eyes. "After…many kills later, the Hegemony told me to return, that they had decided my career was at an end. They'd found someone else better qualified." Now Keta sat up abruptly, her voice seething with wrath. "I wasn't going to go back there, have them turn me into a baby producing factory. They'd throw me aside like trash. So, I fled. I traveled all over the galaxy for a time. This," Keta indicated the room with a wave of her hand, "is my home away from home. I'm not here all the time, just between assignments."

"Assignments?" Hannah queried. "If you don't work for your government, who do you work for?"

"Anyone who will hire me."

"So…you still kill?"

"I try not to. I usually make a deal that favors both parties and get paid handsomely for it."

Hannah eyed Keta carefully. "I don't think I ever want to be on your bad side."

Keta laughed. "That's wise."

A pregnant pause turned into silence again and Hannah understood that Keta had revealed all she was going to about her personal life. There was one other question burning in Hannah's mind, though. "You don't hate humans?"

"Why should I?" Keta asked, her face serious. "What have you done to me? For that matter, what have you done to my people? So you want to settle in the same system as the Hegemony. So what? It's Balak and batarians like him with their narrow-minded views that keep my people under the thumb of the Hegemony. If it takes humans to bring the Hegemony to its knees, I'm perfectly fine with that."

Hannah sensed she had found a solid, though unlikely ally in Keta La'ali. Despite her past, Hannah liked Keta's frank way and her willingness to fight against a culture that brainwashed its own people.

Keta stood up. "It's probably been long enough. Balak won't find me, no matter how hard he tries. Let's get you back where you belong."

* * *

After leading Hannah through several twists and turns, up apparently unused hallways and stairways, Keta arrived at a door sealed shut. It took a couple minutes of working with her omni-tool, but the door eventually slid open. Keta stood to the side and gestured for Hannah to walk through.

"Thank you," Hannah said once more.

Keta grinned at her. "I hope to see you again sometime. But don't look for me. I'll find you."

"Okay," Hannah agreed. The door slid shut and Hannah heard it being sealed off again from the other side. She turned to get her bearings. She was in a small hallway. At the end, she glimpsed the artificial sky. Hannah made her way down the hall, then stepped out onto a balcony high at the top of the Presidium. She found some stairs and began descending. The closer to the bottom she got, the more aliens appeared. Each of them stared at her for a moment, then turned away, not saying a word to her. She knew she must look a mess on her face.

When she reached the bottom, Hannah made a beeline for the rooms the Alliance had rented. By the state of things, she thought it must be around lunchtime. No one was in the lounge next to their rooms. At first, she moved towards her room, then backtracked and stood hesitantly in front of Steven's door. Finally, when she'd gathered herself for his reaction, she touched the panel outside the door. She heard a chime ring inside. She realized he might not even be there, but she hoped he was.

The door slid open. Steven blinked his eyes in surprise and immediately reached out a hand to her. "Hannah, what happened?"

Hannah was comforted by Steven's hand on her shoulder and let him direct her towards a chair in his room. She sat and tried to control her feelings as she spoke, not wanting to lose it and bawl like a child in front of her captain.

"I was attacked."

"By who?" She heard controlled anger in Steven's voice.

"A group of batarians."

"Why?"

Hannah launched into the tale, how Balak had come into the bar and tried to force her out, how she'd defended herself and how he'd gathered a gang of peers to teach her what her place was in the galaxy as a human.

Steven paced back and forth in the room as she told her story, his hand covering his mouth and chin as he listened. When she finished, he stopped pacing and stalked over to the comm unit on the wall. He called up C-Sec and demanded they send an officer to his room immediately. It took some convincing, but at length he got an agreement to do just that.

"I'm sorry, Hannah," he said as he sat down across from her in a chair.

"I am, too," Hannah stated, gently touching the side of her face. "What do I look like?"

"It's not pretty. You're bruising on the left side. Your lip is swollen." Steven paused. "Daniel's going to kill me when he finds out about this."

"Don't tell Daniel," Hannah insisted firmly.

"He'll want to know…"

"Don't. Tell. Him," Hannah said, emphasizing each word. "He's just starting to be okay with aliens now. He can look at a turian on the television and not leave the room. I don't need him embroiled in a vendetta against batarians."

Steven nodded. "Alright. I won't tell him…But I'm sorry," he repeated. "Sorry your first trip to the Citadel ends up like this."

Hannah shook her head sadly. "I think I learned what I was supposed to learn by coming here—most of the galaxy hates us."

"Well, not all at least," Steven said. "The asari aren't so upset by us. Many races just leave us alone completely. The volus love us. They'll take credits from anyone. But, yes, humanity faces prejudice at the least and dangerous enemies at the worst."

"It's…difficult," Hannah said. "I've never faced this before, never been considered a hated minority."

"It will be an uphill battle for certain," Steven agreed. "The problem is that most of the alien races view humanity as aggressors. We came to their attention through a situation that revealed our prowess at making war. They were astounded we could defeat the turians and our warfare isn't conventional from their point-of-view. Truth be told, I think they're scared of us. We're a sleeping giant that might wake up and destroy them."

"But that isn't our intention," Hannah protested.

"No, but they don't see it that way. They only make judgments from their perspective. We're the new race of the galaxy, young, ambitious and militarily strong. In their eyes, we're like children playing with new toys and if they aren't careful, they might watch us become the bullies of the galaxy. They want to make sure we don't ruin the peace they want to maintain."

A chime sounded. Steven stood and walked to the door. It opened to reveal a turian from C-Sec. The next ten minutes found Hannah describing the assault and relating that the name of her attacker was Balak. The turian seemed a little suspect when he mentioned Hannah's injuries were not that extensive for being accosted by eight batarians. Hannah then admitted a good Samaritan had come to her aid, though had asked to remain anonymous. The turian wasn't pleased she didn't give him a name, but didn't try to force her to do so.

When he left, Hannah looked to Steven. "Do you think that did any good?"

Steven shrugged. "If he believed you, they'll look for this Balak. If he doesn't, they'll probably look anyway. I've heard the head of C-Sec is a by the book turian, personally involved in his work. They'll investigate. Whether they look hard enough is anyone's guess."

* * *

In the evening, Hannah sequestered herself in her room. Everyone had gone to dinner, but she hadn't felt like eating and declined to join in one last stroll around the Citadel. She just didn't feel safe enough to walk out the door yet.

She lay on her side in her bed, propped up on her elbow, reading her data pad. Daniel had sent a message. She'd never felt more happy to hear from him.

_Hannah, hope all is going well on the Citadel. Things are same old, same old here. Docks and home. Jane's doing great. I can hardly believe she's eight. Seems like just yesterday we were looking at her in that incubator. She's already excited, knowing you'll bring her back a present. I tried to explain to her that even if you didn't bring anything back, just having you here is a gift. She agreed, but I think her mind is still on what you'll get her. Looking forward to having you back soon. Love you. Daniel._

Hannah closed her eyes against the tears that welled up in them. Daniel was her safe spot; with him, she felt comfort and security. Today, she'd felt terribly alone. She finally admitted to herself that she had been scared, petrified facing eight aliens whose only intent was to hurt her and maybe even kill her. The fear became palpable as she let down her guard while reading Daniel's e-mail. She wished more than anything she could be enveloped in one of his hugs right now.

Wiping her eyes, Hannah looked back down and noticed a new e-mail in her inbox. She didn't recognize the sender. The subject line read "Outraged." She tapped the line and the e-mail popped up.

_We have been made aware of the incident that occurred today. We want to express our extreme sadness and outrage over how you have been treated. Humanity has found itself alone in the galaxy—there is no alien race willing to support us. We stand on our own. We feel that you are someone who understands this. We would like to ask you to record a statement for us so that humanity will know exactly what we are facing. It is time people knew the truth, that the aliens of the galaxy will stop at nothing to eradicate humanity. We will call you tonight at 2100. Terra Firma._

Hannah recognized the political party. Terra Firma had formed soon after the First Contact War, decrying humanity's entrance into the wider galaxy and citing Shanxi as evidence that to get involved with the rest of the galaxy was to destroy humanity. Hannah had always ignored their paranoia; now, she paused for a moment, willing to consider their point-of-view. At Shanxi, the turians had attacked a human colony, revealing the willingness to shoot before communicating. She'd heard a turian cop give up on a complaint because a human had reported the incident. She'd been assaulted by a group of bartarians who admitted openly they wanted nothing more than to wipe humanity out of the galaxy. Was there something to be said for standing against the aliens?

Hannah lightly touched her face, the bruises fresh and tender. She flinched and laid back on the bed. Yes, many aliens hated humans, but they didn't all hate them. The asari bartender she'd met today had been friendly and open. Then there was Keta, who'd revealed her presence on the Citadel to rescue a human she didn't even know. In truth, what Terra Firma stood for was exactly what the batarians who attacked her stood for: the supremacy of their own race over others. She couldn't support that.

Hannah reached over to turn off the lamp next to the bed. She closed her eyes, her mind contemplative. In a wider galaxy, what was her purpose? Everything had seemed so straightforward when humanity was "alone" in the galaxy: get a career, get into space and go as far as you can. But now that humanity found itself only one of many species, had her purpose changed? What was she meant to do?

Hannah fell asleep in the midst of her thoughts, worn out from the day's events. The beeping that indicated a call was coming through at 2100 hours went unanswered.


	11. Goodbye

Time passed by in relative peace for the Shepard family. As Hannah thought back on the years, she considered herself incredibly blessed. Change for humanity had continued to move forward. There was finally a human embassy on the Citadel, even after a man had tried to assassinate the volus ambassador the year before humanity was granted one. Hannah had meant to take Daniel and Jane to the Citadel some day, but it hadn't happened yet. She wondered if Balak still frequented the station. He'd never been found by C-Sec. She hoped he'd left for good, afraid of Keta.

Hannah studied Jane while her daughter ate her cereal in the living room, watching the television. She wasn't a child anymore. She had grown into a young teenager, now fourteen years old. She excelled in school, besting all her peers in both academics _and_ physical activity. Hannah recalled Daniel saying once that any child of theirs had to be amazing. _Well, she certainly is_, Hannah thought. Daniel had done a great job raising her. Hannah felt a twinge of regret. She wasn't really a consistent figure in Jane's life. Her military career continually kept her off station more than on. It wasn't that she had a bad relationship with Jane, far from it. She just felt she didn't know her daughter as well as Daniel did. Daniel _had_ called Hannah a lot when Jane hit her hormonal surge around twelve. Hannah had to explain umpteen things about teenage girls to him. But he'd managed well, even through that stage.

Hannah sighed. She knew Daniel would have liked more children in their family, but since she was gone all the time, it just hadn't been practical. So he'd poured his own life into Jane, making her the center of his world.

Daniel sat at the breakfast table, reading his data pad. Hannah smiled at him. They were middle aged now, Daniel quickly coming upon his forties. Hannah was already thinking of how to greet the next decade of Daniel's life. She wanted to have a surprise party, if she could just make sure she'd be on station for his birthday.

"What do you think of Thessia?" Daniel asked, looking across the table at her.

Hannah took a sip of her coffee. "I haven't been there, but they say it's beautiful. You want to go on vacation there?" The last vacation they'd taken as a family found them back in Michigan, visiting her parents. Hannah always loved going home. Camping and aqua racing with Daniel and Jane formed some of her most precious memories.

"For our 20th anniversary," Daniel explained.

"We just celebrated our 15th and you're already thinking of our 20th?" Last year they had gotten away, if only for a short time, celebrating their 15th anniversary back on Eden Prime, reliving old memories and rock climbing galore.

"I hear Thessia books up quickly." Daniel winked at her.

Hannah shook her head. "I say 'no.'"

"What's wrong with Thessia?"

"Hum, let's see, a planet full of large breasted, beautiful blue women?"

Daniel chuckled. "They're monogendered."

"I don't care," Hannah said.

"I won't look."

Hannah stared down Daniel who was doing his best to keep a straight face, but failing. He laughed loudly. "Alright. Somewhere else then." He continued to scroll through anniversary spots on his data pad.

"I wish I had biotics," a voice declared as Jane entered the kitchen.

"O-kay, where did that come from?" Daniel asked, looking up quizzically at Jane.

"There's this news report about biotics on, explaining all they can do. It would just be so awesome."

"Well, sorry, kiddo," Daniel said. "You didn't luck out there."

"Dad, I keep telling you, I'm _not_ a kid anymore." Jane eyed her father in exasperation.

"Yeah. I just keep forgetting. You're always going to be my sunshine."

Jane stuck her tongue out at Daniel who grinned as he teased her.

"It's time to go," Daniel spoke, his tone now reflecting parental authority.

"Okay." Jane trudged back into the living room to pick up her school bag.

"I'll go with her," Hannah said. "I don't get enough time with her as it is."

"I think that's a great idea," Daniel affirmed. He leaned over and kissed Hannah. "I've got to get to work anyway. A whole load of ships are being retrofitted today."

"Have fun," Hannah said. Daniel gave Jane a hug, then walked out the front door.

Hannah turned her attention to Jane. Her daughter was smartly dressed wearing a new style of pants, gray with a red stripe down the side. She wore a matching red shirt, long-sleeved with a swirling pattern around the collar.

"Your dad buy you that?" Hannah asked.

Jane laughed. "You know dad. He always thinks girls want what's in vogue. But, mom, I really don't care what I look like."

Hannah smiled. "You take after me in that area. Fashion and I aren't good friends."

"Oh, I don't know," Jane disagreed. "I think you look pretty sharp in that purple dress."

Hannah glanced down at the simple sundress she wore. "Your dad bought this, too."

"Well, at least he has taste." Jane shared a grin with her mother.

"Alright. Time to head out." Hannah gestured towards the door and she and Jane strolled out together. On the way to the education center, Jane filled her in on all the goings on since she'd last been on station. There was a whole lot of describing which teens had hooked up with which teens and the newest entertainment venues on station. Hannah baited Jane, asking if there were any interesting young men at school, but Jane groaned and said she definitely _wasn't_ going to share that information with her mother.

"We're having another guest speaker today. A salarian!" Jane informed her excitedly instead.

"What's he speaking about?"

"Genetics, I think." Jane then launched into a description of her biology classes and what she had learned so far.

Hannah found herself pondering what Jane would become. Perhaps a scientist. She certainly displayed proficiency in math and science. Maybe she'd be an alien linguist. She had gone out of her way to teach herself at least a little of the asari, turian and salarian languages. Hannah was glad Jane had been exposed to aliens through the Mythos education system. Alien guest speakers were a common facet of her education.

Hannah said goodbye to Jane as she parted from her outside the education center and decided to spend a little time wandering the arboretum, enjoying being back home. She didn't do much thinking, just let herself relax and take pleasure in the beautiful greenery. She considered the stroll a chance to recover from her rigorous schedule onboard the Agincourt. Just recently she'd been promoted to Staff Commander. Steven was no longer her captain, having moved up the chain of command. Now he was a Rear Admiral and solidifying his role in galactic politics.

Hannah left the arboretum feeling content and happy. When she arrived home, she saw a message on her data pad.

_Commander, this is Maddock. I know you have a pretty cushy job on the Agincourt. I probably won't get the response I hope for from this message, but I decided to at least try. I have a position open for a Staff Commander on the SSV Einstein. I know it's just a carrier, but I took it on anyway. It needed a strong captain to direct it. We have N7 graduates aboard, special forces to deploy in the event of an attack in the Skyllian Verge. The batarians are getting bolder. This is where the action is. I figured you might agree to transfer to my ship, if only for the chance of getting in on some action and receiving a promotion. Let me know ASAP. Captain Maddock._

Hannah was surprised at the message, but not by who had sent it. Over the years she and Daniel had maintained contact with Maddock. Hannah counted the years that had passed and realized Maddock had to be almost fifty. By now he could have been an Admiral, but he declined the promotion every time they offered it to him. He kept saying he was born to be a captain and that's what he was going to be.

Hannah contemplated the message. Did she want to accept and go back to life on a carrier, less prestigious than being on a frigate? Though Maddock made a good point—the Skyllian Verge was the focal point of military action these days. If she did accept, she'd find herself in a prime position for advancement. Hannah set the data pad down on the coffee table. She'd talk it over with Daniel, maybe wait a day to think it over.

She spent the rest of the morning in pleasurable activities, reading, exercising and watching an old black and white movie from humanity's past on the television, _Casablanca_. She'd seen it a couple times previously and had liked it each time. The ending was just playing in the background when her comm link beeped. She put her hand to her ear, wondering if Jane had forgotten something at home and needed her to drop it by the education center.

"Yes?"

She heard a hesitant voice on the other end. "Hannah…Is that you?"

"Yes."

"This is Brian, from the docks."

"Oh, yeah. Hi, Brian."

"Hey…um…You need to go to the hospital right away. Daniel's been in an accident…It's bad."

Hannah felt a tight knot form in her throat and her heart rate accelerated. She put a hand to her neck. "What happened?"

"I wasn't present. Look, you just need to get to the medical center."

"Okay." The comm went silent and Hannah rushed for the front door, her thoughts in a jumbled panic.

* * *

The moment Hannah entered the medical center, a grey-haired doctor met her at the entrance.

"Hannah Shepard?" he asked.

"Where's Daniel?" she questioned, peering into the center.

"I'd like to talk to you first."

"I _want _to see my husband. Take me to him _now_." She made to push past the doctor, but he firmly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll take you to him, but first I _must_ talk to you."

Hannah read compassion in the doctor's eyes and it scared her, but she took a deep breath, commanding herself be calm. "Alright. But make it quick."

The doctor led her to his office and motioned towards a chair. Hannah sat, her hands folded across her chest, staring at the doctor. He didn't sit at his desk, but pulled a chair over, positioning himself across from her.

"A shuttle your husband was working on slipped from its lift. He was underneath it at the time."

Hannah tried to speak through the knot that kept getting tighter in her throat. She felt a gripping pain in her chest and found it hard to breathe. "How is he?" she breathed out.

"Part of his body was crushed. His lungs collapsed. He also has a brain injury. There's a large amount of swelling around the brain."

"So…" Hannah said slowly, "Where do we go from here?" She wanted to know specifically what the doctor was trying to tell her, how long it would take for Daniel to recover.

"No medication or treatment is going to help your husband. His injuries are extensive. He exhibits no brain activity. We have him on a machine that is keeping his blood moving through his system, but that's all we can do."

Hannah's hands began to shake and she clasped them together, trying to control her emotions. "You're saying…he's already dead." It wasn't a question. It was a statement she knew was true.

"Essentially, yes," the doctor agreed, his eyes expressing sorrow. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this. We've kept him functioning so you and your daughter can say goodbye."

Hannah stood up from the chair, wringing her hands and taking several deep breaths. "Take me to him."

"Follow me." The doctor stood and walked out of his office and down the hall to a room. He opened the door and slid to the side so Hannah could enter. Hannah hesitated, part of her not wanting to go in and refusing to believe this was happening. After a minute or so, she stepped into the room.

Daniel lay in a bed, motionless. Several wires and tubes were evident, running from under the sheet that covered him to a machine next to the bed. A tube had been taped to his mouth as well. His head was swathed in some kind of wrap; all she could see were his closed eyes. His left arm rested outside the sheet. Hannah slowly walked over and clasped his hand. She stared at his eyes. It would be so easy to convince herself he was just sleeping and would wake up soon, but she couldn't escape the truth.

"Daniel," she whispered. Suddenly and with force, the tears came. She heard unearthly groaning fill the room as she wept, leaning over the still form of her husband. She cried until she had nothing left, till dry sobs shook her body. She continued to hold Daniel's hand tightly and raised her tear stained face to fix Daniel with her eyes. "I love you. I'll always love you. I promise there will never be anyone else." She didn't know why she was making this vow, but she felt she had to say it, to promise that she'd be loyal to him no matter what.

Time passed by, but Hannah hardly noticed. She didn't want to stop holding Daniel's hand and sitting by his side. She felt to let go was to lose him forever. She wanted every last moment they would let her have. But thoughts of Jane finally forced her to ask a nurse the time: 1403. Jane would be getting out of school soon. She had to be strong for Jane. Hannah stood up, willing herself to release Daniel's hand, but trembling as she left the room. She had to meet Jane and bring her to the medical center, but she didn't know what to say or how to say it.

* * *

Jane waved at Hannah as she exited the education center, practically running over to her. "Hey, mom, the salarian scientist was amazing. Do you know what they've learned on his home world? They…" Her voice halted. "Mom? What's wrong?"

Hannah had kept herself composed while waiting for Jane. She hadn't cried, but she couldn't erase the deep pain from her face. "Jane, walk with me."

"Alright," Jane said tentatively, following Hannah. After they'd moved away from prying ears and eyes, Hannah put a hand on Jane's arm.

"I need to take you to the hospital."

"Why?" Jane asked, her eyes fearful and wary.

"Your father was in an accident at work. He's not doing well."

Jane placed her hand on her chest and Hannah could tell she was having trouble breathing. "What's wrong with him?"

"He was crushed by a shuttle on the docks."

"What does that mean?"

"Honey," Hannah tried to say as gently as she could, "It means…we're going to have to say goodbye."

"No," Jane shook her head. "No. No. No!"

Hannah moved her hand from Jane's arm to her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Come with me."

Jane's eyes were already overflowing with tears. They walked the few halls down to the center and Hannah directed Jane to Daniel's room. He laid there the same as before.

"He looks…they can fix him," Jane stuttered, wiping her eyes.

"He's only alive because they're keeping him that way. If they remove the machine, everything will stop working. His body is a shell, Jane."

"How can you call him that?" Jane yelled angrily, eyes of fury on her mother. "He's not a shell! He's my dad!"

"I know he's your dad…" Hannah paused, taking several breaths, willing herself not to lose it, to stay strong for Jane.

Jane moved to the side of the bed and placed her hand on Daniel's exposed arm. "Dad, come on. You've got to wake up. Please, dad. Please, be a miracle for _me_."

Hannah drew in a halting breath, mist filling her vision. She moved close to Jane and clasped her shoulders from behind. "Jane…we have to let him go."

"I'm not giving up on him!" Jane shouted, pushing Hannah's hands off her shoulders.

"It's not giving up. He's already gone."

"No!" Jane clutched Daniel's arm. "Dad, you're the only one I have. I need you."

Hannah felt the sting of Jane's comment. For her entire life, Daniel had been Jane's center, the parent she depended on. Hannah had been the traveling mother, there now and again, but never consistent. Jane's entire world had collapsed the moment the shuttle had fallen on Daniel.

"Jane," Hannah said, softly, "Jane, please look at me."

Jane turned reluctantly, tears coursing down her cheeks.

Hannah placed her hands back on Jane's shoulders. "I know you love your father. I love him, too. And because we love him, we're going to have to let him go."

Jane shook her head and fell to the floor, sitting with her knees drawn into her chest and her head buried in them. Hannah knelt down next to her, waiting for Jane's weeping to slow. When her crying had calmed, Hannah reached out a hand to her arm.

"I don't want to do this until you're ready."

Jane refused to meet Hannah's gaze, instead focusing on the bed and the still form of her father lying there. "He's really gone, isn't he?"

Hannah felt emotion choke up in her throat, but forced herself to speak. "Yes."

Jane slowly stood and Hannah followed her. Jane gripped Daniel's hand. Her voice quavered as she spoke. "I want to be holding him when they do it."

"Okay," Hannah agreed. Hannah stepped into the hall, looking for the doctor. She wanted to do this now, before she lost her resolve. She found the doctor and he accompanied her back to Daniel's room, entering along with a couple nurses. When Hannah nodded, the doctor stopped the machine. Daniel slipped away silently, no movement, just the man they had both loved exiting their lives forever without a word.

"I love you, dad," Jane whispered as she held tightly to his hand.

"He's gone," the doctor informed them quietly.

Jane turned and bolted from the room. Hannah didn't follow. She couldn't. She was rooted to the spot, staring at Daniel, now dead in reality.

"Can I have a moment alone?" she requested. The doctor nodded and left the room followed by the nurses.

Hannah leaned over and kissed the only part of Daniel's face uncovered, tenderly pressing her lips against both his eyelids in turn. She thought back to when Daniel had vowed he wouldn't leave Jane without a father. He'd kept that promise for fourteen years. Then she remembered when they'd struck a deal to grow old together. He would never have the pleasure of keeping that promise.

Hannah stroked his left arm, knowing it would never hold her again. She was alone…but no, that wasn't true. She had Jane and Jane had her. She couldn't think of herself as alone. Daniel would want her to be there for Jane, to help Jane to live and recover from his loss.

"Daniel…" Hannah heard the tremor in her voice and her tears began anew, "Thank you for loving me, for sticking with me all these years. Thank you for raising Jane, for being a good father to her. I'll never be able to fill your shoes, but I promise to try to be there for Jane like you were. Don't worry about her. I'll take care of her." She stopped to gulp air. "I love you. I love you. I love you." Her voice faded out.

The doctor came back in, ready to instruct Hannah on where they went from here, to discuss a funeral and where Daniel should be buried, whether he would be cremated and sent out into the stars or his body prepared for a trip back home to Earth. Hannah found herself actually glad she was forced to make decisions. As she listened and made choices, she didn't have to think about how Daniel had left her all alone with Jane.

* * *

Hannah returned home long after dinnertime. She didn't notice because she had no desire to eat. When she passed through the front door, she immediately searched for Jane. Jane was nowhere to be found. Hannah ended up sitting on Jane's bed in her bedroom. The fish tank Daniel had procured for Jane purred in the corner, the air filter bubbling at the top. The fish swam languidly back and forth and for a time, Hannah was mesmerized by them, keeping her mind on their patterns to the exclusion of everything else. Eventually she pulled her eyes off the tank and gazed around the room. Jane had amassed an impressive collection of model ships that were displayed on shelves attached to the wall. Her collection included many alien designs as well as Alliance ones. Hannah's eye fell on a small rack tacked horizontally to the wall and noticed something was missing: Jane's marksman rifle. While most parents were giving their daughters dolls, Hannah and Daniel had bought Jane a rifle. Daniel had taught her how to use it at the Mythos shooting range. Hannah stood, knowing that was exactly where Jane would be.

She strode into the living room, intending to walk out the door to find her daughter, but her data pad caught her eye. Sitting on the couch, she saw it was still open to Maddock's e-mail, asking her if she would be willing to join the Einstein. Hannah picked up the device, took a long, shaky breath and switched to the video call screen, tapping a location with her finger. When Captain Maddock appeared on the screen, she broke down and cried out an explanation of the day's events.

* * *

Hannah found herself standing outside the shooting range at least an hour after it had closed. Jane wouldn't have been allowed in at her age unless an adult had been with her. But Hannah knew her daughter was resourceful and determined. Hannah paced around the corner of the range, looking high and low for any way to enter without going through the front door. She spotted a ceiling panel that was partially askew and a trash receptacle out of place underneath it. She climbed up on the bin and pushed back the panel, then pulled herself up into the ceiling. Crawling carefully, Hannah found another panel open several feet away. Looking down, she recognized the lobby of the range. Hannah lowered herself through the opening, letting go when she felt close enough to the ground to do so.

She heard the sound of a rifle firing. As she stepped into the range, she observed Jane at the far end, shooting at a target that was scoring every point. By the tally of the score, Jane had been here awhile. Hannah admired her poise, efficiency and skill, all trained in her by Daniel. Hannah reached over and drew a rifle out of a rack on the range wall, then walked down towards Jane. She saw her daughter's eyes flick over to her momentarily, but Jane kept on aiming her rifle and firing.

Hannah stepped into the slot next to Jane. She picked up the ear muffs sitting there, placing them over her ears. She brought her hand up to the right side of the muffs, turning a knob to up the volume of the speakers and microphone that would allow her to communicate with Jane next door. She understood Jane right now more than she ever had. While shooting, Jane could lose herself in nothing but the gun and the target. She didn't have to think of her father at all.

Hannah raised the old style marksman rifle to her shoulder, took aim at her own target and fired, striking a direct shot to the head. "You know I beat your dad in a rifle competition when we met the second time." There was no response from Jane. She didn't even know if Jane could hear her, if the speakers inside Jane's ear muffs were turned on. But it didn't matter. Hannah had to talk, if only to herself. "I punched him. I think he loved me even then, but I didn't know it at the time."

"He told me," a quiet voice sounded in Hannah's ears. Hannah saw another bullet strike Jane's target and her score rose.

"He was a good husband," Hannah commented, focusing on the heart of the target and firing a perfect shot.

"He was a good dad," Jane's voice spoke into Hannah's ear muffs, following with a shot from her rifle to the heart of her own target.

Hannah took a breath, lining up a shot to the neck. "He loved you, Jane." She pulled the trigger. Another perfect shot.

A bullet struck Jane's target, also in the neck. "I loved him," Jane declared.

Hannah aimed at her target's right arm and fired. "I loved him, too."

Jane's voice came quivering through the ear muffs. "I should have told him more." Another bullet, another shot landing on Jane's target.

Hannah's voice caught in her throat and she breathed out a hushed answer. "He knew, Jane. He knew."

"How can you be sure?" No bullet fired.

"Because you had a bond no one could break. He wrote about you in every e-mail, spoke about you in every video call. You were his heart, Jane. You meant everything to him."

There was a long moment of silence. Then, Jane spoke so quietly, Hannah strained to hear. "You meant everything to him, too. He talked about you all the time when you were away."

Hannah felt fresh tears brim in her eyes and reached up to cover her eyes with her hand. "Mom?" she heard a voice, only it wasn't in her ear muffs. It was beckoning her from behind. Hannah turned to see Jane standing behind her, her ear muffs removed, her eyes full of tears once again. Hannah withdrew her ear muffs and set them down. Mother and daughter stood staring at each other, grief and sorrow thick on the air. Jane suddenly rushed at Hannah, flinging her arms around her mother. Hannah returned the action, holding Jane in a tight hug. Jane's sobs filled the air and Hannah's body shook as she cried. They stood there entwined for several minutes, sharing the terrible pain that consumed them both. After a time, Jane managed to take several deep breaths and speak.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked, choking back residual tears.

"Now that dad's gone…" Jane paused and took another breath, "When you go away again…I'll be alone."

Hannah let go of Jane, gently pushing her back and fixing her with a determined gaze. "You won't be alone, Jane. I'm transferring to the Einstein, a carrier. Captain Maddock asked me to. I already called him. He's invited us to live with his family on Arcturus Station."

Jane's eyes actually brightened slightly. "I'll get to be with Jules."

Hannah smiled. "Yes." Jane had been Jules Maddock's pen pal for several years. They'd even met a few times. "You'll get to see more aliens, too." As humanity's hub for military and politics, Arcturus offered the most exposure to aliens in human controlled space. "Jane, I would never leave you behind. We're all we have left."

Jane trembled and hugged Hannah again, so tightly, as if she couldn't let her go. "I love you, mom," she whispered into Hannah's shoulder.

"I love you, Jane," Hannah whispered back. As they stood there in the range, holding each other, trying to make sense of the loss they'd suffered, Hannah restated to herself the promise she had made to Daniel that she would take care of Jane, that she would be there for her. Hannah blinked her eyes, forcing her tears to stop.

It was time to pull herself up by her bootstraps. She was a single mother now.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has been following this story! The Shepard family has become my own over the past few weeks and this chapter killed me as I wrote it. But I'm excited for what's to come—threads of theme and characters are going to be tied together soon.


	12. Arcturus

Hannah yawned as she leaned back in a recliner in the Maddocks' living room. Soon she'd be leaving again, the Einstein back on patrol, but right now, she could enjoy the last moments she had before boarding ship again. Her eyes fell on Jane's fish tank, set aside in a corner of the room. There were some new fish this time that she didn't recognize.

"Are those alien fish?" she asked aloud.

Maddock's wife, Lourdes, answered from the couch. "Oh, yes. Jane saved her own money to buy them. They get along well with the fish from Earth." Lourdes turned back to reading her data pad and Hannah kept her eyes on the new fish. They were beautiful, a subtle shade of lavender with curved dark green tails. Jane did an impeccable job keeping up with her fish tank. It was her number one hobby right now. Hannah understood that keeping the tank in perfect running order was a simple, but meaningful way for Jane to honor her dad.

Hannah subconsciously fingered the necklace she wore. Every day since Daniel's death she'd worn the rocket necklace he gave her for her thirteenth birthday. She even wore it under her uniform onboard ship, which was completely against regulations, but she didn't care. Wearing the necklace made her feel that Daniel was near her, somehow still with her. Hannah could hardly believe two years had passed since Daniel had left them. The sting of grief had lessened over time, but she still suffered through days where it felt like she'd seen his body die just yesterday.

Hannah moved her gaze from the tank back to Lourdes, smiling at the woman hunched over her data pad. Lourdes was a pleasantly plump woman with dark hair just beginning to gray. She had striking green eyes and Hannah always loved to watch her laugh. Though right now Lourdes seemed more troubled, deep in thought over whatever she was reading. Hannah thought Lourdes was a perfect match for Maddock. Maddock was a good man, but very much all military—he ran his home almost like his ship, scheduled and in good order at all times. Lourdes possessed the organizational skills to keep him happy. Actually, Lourdes was Maddock's second wife. His first wife lived on Mars along with his two daughters from his first marriage. Hannah knew he didn't get to see his daughters much. She'd read between the lines and figured out that Maddock's first marriage had collapsed due to his time away in the navy. It was all too common for Alliance Navy personnel to find their spouses drifting away from them as they were kept away for months, maybe even years, at a time.

Hannah said a silent thank you to Daniel, something she did often in her own mind. Daniel had remained loyal to her. Maybe it was because he understood military life having been a soldier himself for a while. Or maybe it was his determination not to put his family through a divorce, knowing what his own parents' divorce cost him. Whatever the reason, Hannah was thankful Daniel had stuck to their marital vows. Coming home to see him had always been the highlight of her returns through the years. Now the highlight of her returns was Jane.

Hannah was glad she'd transferred to the Einstein, not only because it made it possible for them to stay with the Maddocks on Arcturus Station, but because Maddock made sure to come back home more often than other ships. Maddock had been around so long he pulled significant clout in the Alliance. He could wriggle out of Admirals more leave than anyone else. Hannah suspected he returned so much because he wanted his second marriage not to suffer the same fate as his first. This meant that Hannah also was often back on Arcturus and able to spend time with Jane. At the moment, Hannah heard Jane talking away with Jules down the hall in one of the bedrooms.

"Thanks again," Hannah said aloud, "For taking us in."

Lourdes raised her head up from her data pad, her eyes smiling. "When will you stop saying that?"

Hannah shrugged. "I don't know. I just hope we're never an imposition."

"You aren't," Lourdes insisted. "In fact, having you both here has livened up our family quite a bit."

Hannah sighed, listening to Jane's voice down the hall. "Jules has been good for Jane." For months after Daniel's death, Jane's extroverted nature had hid itself, refusing to be drawn out. She floated through life as if in a daze, not saying much. Her grades had dropped, not enough for failure, but enough to worry Hannah. But when they had finally completed the move to Arcturus Station and Jane became close friends with Jules, she came to life again, rising up from the ashes of mourning.

"I suppose that's so," Lourdes admitted, but she laughed. "I've always thought of it the other way around. Jane has been good for Jules. He's so quiet, she's helped him get outside his shell. He actually has friends now."

Lourdes' good mood seemed to descend the moment her eyes met her data pad again.

"Everything alright?" Hannah asked.

Lourdes looked up. "Am I that obvious?"

Hannah nodded.

"Well, it's nothing much. I'm just worried about my cousin's son."

"What's wrong?"

Lourdes sighed. "He's one of the kids who displayed biotic potential. I guess, maybe five, six years ago, he was recruited for some government program to train biotics. Anyway, something went wrong, I have no idea what, and they shut down the program. He sent an e-mail to his parents and then disappeared. They've always thought something bad happened to him, but who knows? They just want to know where he is, especially his dad, my cousin. He's in the Alliance military."

"What's the family name?" Hannah wondered if she'd ever met this cousin.

"Alenko."

Hannah thought, then shook her head. "I've never met a solider with that name."

"I'm not surprised. He's stationed in the Sol system, near Mars."

"I hope he finds his son," Hannah muttered. She fleetingly thought how she would feel if Jane went MIA. She'd be worried sick, probably lose it completely.

Footsteps sounded down the hall and Jane and Jules emerged. Jane was sixteen now, and definitely becoming a beautiful young woman. She wore green pants that emphasized her shapely legs and a loose fitting blue blouse, gathered at the bottom. Her eyes were bright with excitement. Jules stood next to her, shorter than her by virtue of age. He was three years younger, terribly pale with a mop top of deep auburn hair. Hannah found Jane treated Jules like a younger brother, someone in need of guidance. Maybe that was why he was so good for her—he was her own pet project, a person to keep her focused as she healed from Daniel's death.

"Okay, what are you up to?" Hannah asked, recognizing the devious look in Jane's eyes.

"Nothing," Jane said, trying to appear innocent, but Hannah wasn't buying it.

"If you tell me now, you _might_ be able to do what you're going to try to do, _or_ I can just order you to stay here."

Jane breathed out in disappointment. "There's a rumor a turian ambassador is coming to the station in an hour. We just want to see him. He'd be the first turian we've both ever seen."

Hannah glanced at Lourdes who nodded, affirming she'd heard this rumor as well.

"If there _is_ a turian arriving," Hannah said, her attention back on Jane, "then my guess is security is going to be so tight, you won't be able to see him. Besides, you don't even know where to find him. I'm sure that's been kept a secret." Hannah couldn't imagine the reception a turian would receive if he arrived publicly. A majority of humans still hated turians as a result of the First Contact War.

"Well…" Jules uttered in his quiet, timid voice, but Jane stopped him by nudging him with her elbow.

Hannah now stood up, her hands on her hips, staring both of them down. "Jules?"

Jules shifted back and forth on his feet, looking helplessly at Jane.

Lourdes shook her head from the couch. "Jules…I told you not to hack the computers again."

"It's just too easy," Jules defended his actions.

"Jules!" Lourdes cried out, standing up. "Last time station security was here I promised them you'd stop."

"I haven't done it until now, mom, honest! It's just, Jane wanted to know where to find the Ambassador and I knew it would be a cinch to find out, so I kind of just did it."

Lourdes flung her hands in the air, then sat down, shaking her head as if she didn't know what to do with Jules. "When your father finds out…"

"Please don't tell him!" Jules cried out. Hannah knew if Maddock found out Jules had broken his promise, punishment would be meted out. She couldn't help but feel pity for the mousy little boy standing in front of her.

"Alright, look, we won't tell," Hannah eyed Lourdes who nodded conspiratorially. "Where could you see the ambassador?"

"They're going to bring him in the back of the Fullton," Jane informed her, referencing the ritziest hotel on the station.

Hannah debated herself inside her head. Part of her wanted to tell Jane to mind her own business and demand she stay home. But another part knew Jane's motives were pure; she just wanted the chance to see a turian up close. A sudden thought occurred to Hannah, one she knew she shouldn't be having—she wasn't a mischievous teenager, she was a woman of almost forty. Still, it _would_ be fun.

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right," Hannah declared.

"We?" Jane asked.

"You two follow me," Hannah said, heading towards the front door. Jane shouted "Yes!" in delight and Jules grinned from ear to ear. As the door slid open, Hannah looked back to Lourdes. "Don't tell the Captain I did this."

Lourdes grinned. "My lips are sealed."

* * *

Hannah led Jane and Jules to a stairwell, which they proceeded to climb for a good while. Jules, who wasn't so physically fit, ended up grasping his chest and breathing rapidly. Jane asked him if he wanted to stop, but he shook his head, determined to keep up. Hannah reached a door that was bolted. Part of her chastised herself for going through with this. What they were doing was possibly illegal. Still, she turned on her omni-tool and messed with the locking mechanism for a few minutes. The door slid open. Hannah tried to justify her actions to herself: _They just want to see the ambassador. There's no harm in that. And there isn't even any warning on the door not to enter. And really, it's just part of the station. It's for maintenance, not even privately owned._

She strode down a narrow hallway with the teenagers following her until she found what she was looking for. Pointing, she got down on her hands and knees and crawled underneath a short overhang. The sound of rustling behind her indicated Jane and Jules were keeping up with her. After they had crawled several feet, Hannah pulled herself out from under the overhang, standing up on what appeared to be a small balcony, but was actually an extension off a catwalk for maintenance engineers.

Jane and Jules appeared next to her. Jane drew in a breath. "It's the back of the Fullton!" Peering down below, they had a clear view of the hallway behind the Fullton. They were positioned directly across from the back entrance.

"When is he coming?" Hannah asked. It was Jules who answered.

"1530 hours they get to the hotel."

Hannah shook her head, slightly disturbed that Jules displayed computer prowess far beyond most adults at such a young age. She could only guess what he'd be able to do the older he grew. She glanced down at her omni-tool. "We have a fifteen minute wait, then." She sat down on the walk. Jane and Jules followed.

"Mom, how do you know about this place?" Jane inquired.

Hannah smiled. "Maps have always come easy to me. I always memorize a place when I get to it. Habit." Hannah realized her map skills reflected one reason she excelled in the military: she possessed an ability to comprehend the overall picture quickly.

"You're cool," Jules said quietly, staring at Hannah in awe.

Hannah chuckled. At least a thirteen year old approved of her. The wait felt like an eternity, but finally, they heard steps coming down the hall below. They all stood, intently focused on the view below. Hannah wished she'd brought a pair of binoculars for Jane to use. An entourage appeared, moving towards the Fullton. Three turians stood shoulder to shoulder, though the one in the middle was obviously the ambassador—he alone marched with an air of authority. He was largely built, impressive with a solemn silver face decorated with black tattoos. Several humans surrounded the turians, some political figures Hannah recognized and others undoubtedly security.

As the group drew close to the back of the Fullton, Hannah noticed movement in her peripheral vision. She turned her head and saw a man a few yards away on the catwalk wearing a maintenance uniform. He was carrying a long hard case that Hannah assumed contained tools. He started to open the case, but Jules suddenly coughed and the man's head jerked around, his face startled.

Hannah was sure they were in for it now, caught in an area they had no business being in. "Uh," she said, pointing at Jane and Jules, "They just wanted to see the turian ambassador. We didn't mean any harm."

The man stared at her, seemingly unsure what do now that he had seen them. He finally reached down and locked the case again. "No problem."

Hannah narrowed her eyes, sensing for some reason that this man was untrustworthy. His grey eyes darted back and forth under thick dark eyebrows. "Just, don't get these kids in trouble, okay?" she asked, pleading.

"Look, lady, it's okay. No problem. I won't tell anyone." He picked up his case and proceeded down the catwalk to the other end, disappearing. By the time Hannah turned back, the turian was out of sight, having entered the Fullton.

"Turians are amazing," Jane proclaimed. "I can't believe dad fought them. It's weird to think of him doing that."

"Well, he didn't sign up for it," Hannah replied. "They told him to."

"Yeah," Jane said. "I remember that when I interviewed him for that report in third grade."

"I think they're ugly," Jules put in his two cents.

"What?!" Jane spoke loudly.

"They always look mad and they're so skinny. And I bet if you met one in person they'd try to kill you."

"Well that turian wasn't killing the humans with him," Jane defended the alien race.

"He can't kill them here because he'd get in trouble. Too many humans to fight back." Jules had crossed his arms over his chest, evidently convinced turians were evil at heart.

Jane looked exasperatedly at Hannah. "Tell him, mom. You saw turians on the Citadel."

Hannah tried to defuse the argument. "Calm down," she commanded. "Jules, I did see them. None of them tried to kill me."

Jules shrugged, seemingly unconvinced that his opinion was false. Jane sighed, but catching a warning eye from her mother, dropped the conversation.

"You've seen your turian," Hannah stated, "So let's go. The Einstein leaves in an hour. I need to be on board."

* * *

Hannah quickly packed her bag when she returned to the Maddocks' apartment. She said goodbye to Jane, the worst part of leaving. She still loved her military career, but she often wished she could give it all up for the sake of Jane and stay with her at all times. However, they needed to live and the only job Hannah had the skills for lay with the Alliance Navy. With her promotions, she was making good money now and quitting would have been counterintuitive.

Jane hugged her tightly. "I hate it when you leave."

Hannah returned the hug just as tightly. "I hate leaving."

"I always ask dad to keep you safe," Jane disclosed as she pulled away from Hannah. Jane's eyes were wet with the beginnings of tears.

"I'll be back soon. You know Maddock. He'll get us back here as soon as he's able."

"I know," Jane said, her voice still expressing her sadness at Hannah's departure.

"Be patient with Jules. He's a teen. He sees the world in black and white only." Hannah winked at Jane.

"Are you implying I'm like Jules?" Jane demanded, her hands on her hips.

"Sometimes," Hannah said.

"Like when we argue?"

"Yeah, like then."

Jane suddenly laughed. "Adults. Think they know everything."

Hannah patted her on the back. "Oh, you're so very humble."

"I'm so humble, everyone knows I'm the greatest," Jane said, smiling wickedly. This wasn't the first time they had joked at Jane's tendency to decide she knew what was best.

Hannah slung her bag over her shoulder and headed towards the front door, Jane following. "I'll call you," Hannah assured her.

"Okay," Jane said. Hannah walked through the door, hearing it slide shut behind her and wishing she could have taken Jane with her.

* * *

Four days out in the Skyllian Verge and all was alarmingly quiet. Usually two to three reports of batarian activity near human colonies would have crossed Hannah's terminal by now, but so far, it seemed the batarians had taken a vacation. The silence worried her. She didn't trust the batarian raiders to keep quiet for long. She knew first hand the ruthlessness of human hating batarians, thanks to Balak eight years ago.

Currently she was assigned to the Combat Information Center of the Einstein. At the moment, she didn't have much to do as no ships had been reported in the area. Still, she kept an eye on the map, and her computer, ready to catch any movement.

"You bored, Commander?"

Hannah turned, knowing Ernesto was guarding the CIC today. "Completely," she answered the stocky man standing near the door to the rest of the ship.

"I could turn on some music. Salsa? Then you could give me that dance you promised me." Ernesto grinned widely.

Hannah laughed. "I've told you. If you see me dance, I'll lose your respect forever."

"For me?" Ernesto begged, a pout on his face.

"No. And don't ask me again. That's an order, Lieutenant."

"Oh man. You finally ordered me to stop joking?"

Hannah nodded. "That I did."

Ernesto hadn't moved from his post at the door, but his eyes twinkled at her. She loved it when he guarded the CIC. He always brought his humor and his bravado with him and made the hours she was on duty pass by quickly. He alone could get her to lower her authoritarian manner.

"Anything I can help with?" Ernesto asked.

Hannah sighed. "Nope. Nothing _to_ help with. It's all quiet at the front of the Verge."

"You sound like that's bad. Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

Hannah smiled at him again. "It's a good thing. Doesn't mean it isn't boring though."

"Gotcha."

"How's your family?" Hannah asked, flipping through charts on her data pad.

"Good. My little brother's gonna graduate soon. Says he wants to be an entomologist."

Hannah chuckled, but kept her eyes on the data pad. "Wouldn't have expected that out of _your_ family."

"Well, he always was the odd ball. My older brother's getting married in three months."

Hannah looked up for a moment. "Congratulations."

"Guess who he's marrying?" Ernesto was smiling playfully.

"Uh…no idea."

"An asari."

"Really?" Now Ernesto had her full attention. She had heard about humans hooking up with asari, but this was the first she'd known someone personally connected with the practice.

"He met her on the Citadel. They fell in love at first sight. Whirlwind courtship and now they want to get hitched."

"What do your parents think of that?"

"They're not that excited. They hadn't exactly planned for their child to marry an alien."

Hannah let out a slow breath. "No one _would_ have thought about that until thirteen years ago."

"I think she'll grow on them. She's nice, really sweet."

Hannah grinned at Ernesto. "So _you_ like asari?"

"Me?" Ernesto asked. "Naw, I go for elcor."

Hannah cocked her head, surprised, then saw through Ernesto's poker face. "Right."

Ernesto broke into howls of laughter. He got the attention of the other officers in the room, but they didn't mind. They all smiled at their own stations. Everyone liked Ernesto.

Hannah finished inspecting the duty roster charts, making sure everything was in order. She decided to pause a moment and check her own personal e-mail. There was a message from Jane time stamped several hours ago.

_Hey, mom. Thanks for letting me know you're still safe out there. Things are good here. I got a good report card, all A's. We had to do dissection in science lab. The worm was cool. Frog was neat, too. But I couldn't stand the fetal pig. It wasn't the dissecting part, just I kept feeling sorry for it. My partner named it George. That made it worse. When it had a name, it started to look like a pet._

_I'm trying to remember what you said about being patient with Jules. I think he hates most aliens. I don't know why. His mom doesn't or his dad. He's just so ridiculously opinionated! (I know I am, too, so don't rub it in. At least my opinions are right). Anyway, I'm trying not to bug him too much. Write when you can. Love, Jane._

_P.S. For English I have to write a report on who I would consider my hero. I hope you don't mind, but I chose dad._

Hannah's eyes grew moist at Jane's postscript. She didn't mind at all. She was glad Jane kept remembering Daniel and finding ways to honor him. Hannah also had her own way of honoring him, besides wearing her rocket necklace everywhere she went. Daniel had given her a strong foundation to build on. He'd poured into Jane courage and strength and wisdom and most of all, love. Hannah was determined to honor his work, committing to bring to maturity the qualities Daniel had instilled in their daughter. Hannah replied to Jane, commiserating with her over the fetal pig, encouraging her toleration of Jules and letting her know she thought choosing Daniel as her hero an excellent idea.

When she finished, Hannah tabbed over to the news. She read a couple articles on the elections for Parliament this year, then she flipped over to real time news, wanting to see what updates had been posted. Her mouth fell open at the lead title that met her eyes. However, before she could tap the article to read it, her comm link beeped in her ear.

"Yes?" she stammered, still struck by the article title.

"It's Captain Maddock. I've just been informed the Alliance picked up a distress call from Mindoir. Batarian slave raid most likely. We're heading that direction immediately. Begin coordinating the marines for deployment and get everyone on stations ASAP."

"Yes, sir!" Hannah spoke out aloud. She turned her attention back to the map, lighting up the planet called Mindoir. Then she started issuing orders, moving from station to station. Her heart beat quickly. Batarian slavers were in and out so quickly on planets, she hoped they would make it in time.

In the hustle and bustle, she completely forgot the article title from the news that had shocked her: Attempted Assassination of Turian Ambassador on Arcturus Station.


	13. Mindoir

The Einstein arrived at Mindoir within two hours accompanied by two frigates and a cruiser. More ships were en route, but Maddock and the other captains didn't want to wait for their arrival. Six batarian ships orbited the planet, the largest number Hannah had ever seen for a slave raid. Usually slavers showed up with one or two ships, descended as fast as possible, grabbed what people they encountered and zoomed off before a rescue could be attempted planet side. This raid bore the marks of extensive planning.

The frigates and cruiser engaged the batarian starships immediately as the Einstein scrambled its fighters, who took to space, joining in the fight. One of the batarian ships fled immediately, leaving the Alliance Navy to battle it out with the five remaining. Distress calls kept streaming in on an Alliance frequency, the colonists below pleading for help. The worst calls were the ones cut off by screaming.

Maddock paced back and forth in the CIC, issuing orders and grumbling. Everyone in the center knew that Mindoir was a simple farming colony without large cities and protected by minimal security. To the slavers, Mindoir must have been an easy target. Hannah listened to Maddock muttering under his breath, blaming the Alliance Parliament for letting the colonists settle in the first place. They should have been denied access until more security had been arranged. In his opinion, the Parliament gave in too often to starry eyed colonists without a sense of the dangers from the Terminus Systems in their haste to settle outlying planets before the batarians.

Maddock eventually gathered his officers, including Hannah, strategizing how to mount a rescue utilizing the marines and N7 forces onboard his ship. He didn't want to wait any longer to rescue what colonists they could. They decided to send two squads of marines down first, dropping them as near to the main city as possible. They would report on the status of the city, then Maddock and his officers would decide where to deploy N7.

All went smoothly in the beginning. The shuttles evaded the space battle still ensuing. Major Templeton kept in constant contact with the Einstein, communicating the squads' every step towards the city. They made it within a hundred yards when the comm chattered to life again, Templeton checking in.

"We're a hundred yards out. City's almost silent. We found a lot of dead colonists on the outskirts. A couple live ones. The batarians are dragging the survivors to a landing spot on the east side, rounding them up and putting them in cargo pods."

Maddock listened intently. Hannah could see the wheels turning in his mind as he studied the map of Mindoir that shimmered in the center of the CIC. "I want the N7 units deployed here," he said, pointing at the map, "just beyond this range of hills so their entry is disguised. We'll sandwich the batarians on each side."

Hannah put her hand to her ear, issuing orders to the N7 units while another officer contacted the marines on the ground. Twenty more minutes passed. N7 reported in, stating it had hit the ground. They were making their way around the foothills, keeping a low profile. They would be in sight of the east side of the city in five minutes. The CIC had gone silent as everyone held his breath, waiting to hear that N7 was on the offensive.

Two minutes passed, then three. Suddenly, the center sounded with a plea from Major Templeton. "We're pinned down! We can see two ships loading colonists. The batarians must have snuck some of their number in behind us. We're being attacked in front and behind!"

Maddock thrust his right fist into his palm, eyeing the map angrily. "We're not letting these scum off planet! Inform N7 they'll get no help from the marines. Have them split up and come at the shuttles from the north and south."

Hannah heard the officer next to her speaking to N7 and receiving confirmation of the orders. Her heart pumped as she stared at the map. Their people were down there, trapped. Maddock turned to her and put an uncharacteristic hand on her arm.

"I want you down there, Commander."

"Sir?" Hannah asked.

"We've got to rescue our boys. You're still the best shot I've ever seen, my best leader when it comes to strategy. I want you to take the remaining marines onboard down there and get our men out."

"Yes, sir!"

"Go."

Hannah marched towards the elevator, thinking of what she needed to do: suit up in her armor, grab an assault rifle and shotgun, and meet the last two squads of marines in the bay. She had long ago made the transition from marine to exclusively navy. She hoped she remembered enough of her marine training to get their people off Mindoir.

* * *

Eight shuttles bounced their way through the Mindoirian atmosphere. Hannah assessed the marines in her shuttle. They hadn't been happy that she had usurped leadership of their units. Their leader was Lieutenant Griffin, a spirited young man. Hannah estimated he was at least six years younger than she. He was full of spit and fire and obviously didn't appreciate her presence. Still, he was a soldier and as such, he kept his mouth shut, obeying Maddock's command to follow her orders. He stood next to her, both of them hanging onto handholds bolted into the side wall of the shuttle.

Hannah heard the helmsman speak into her ear. "We're one minute from touch down, Commander. We've been able to get you to the middle of the city. Activity to the east."

"Acknowledged," Hannah answered back. Soon she felt the rise and fall of the shuttle as it landed. The door slid open and Hannah jumped out followed by Griffin and the marines carried in on her shuttle. The other seven shuttles landed almost at the same time, their contents spilling out. She had about eighty marines at her disposal.

The comm in her ear came to life again as Maddock contacted them. "Commander, Lieutenant, good news. We have two more frigates and a cruiser inbound. Expect the batarians on the ground to start scrambling to get above. They'll be desperate."

"Aye, sir," Hannah responded, hearing Griffin next to her also utter an affirmative. She glanced around their landing site. They were in the town square. She recognized the buildings from the map she'd memorized of the area.

"Let's go," Griffin urged her, turning to walk to the east.

"Wait."

"For what?" he asked.

"Taking a direct route over land is exactly what they'll be looking for if they suspect reinforcements."

"What do _you_ suggest?" Griffin asked, a slight challenge in his voice.

"There's a tunnel under the city, used to transport supplies out to the farms, like a tram. It can ferry us right to the batarians. Then we can take them by surprise."

Griffin cocked his head, seemingly shocked he found Hannah's idea a good one. "Alright. Let's find it."

The marines scoured the area until they located the entrance to the tunnel. They descended into the tunnel which was lit by artificial light that had dimmed in the attack. When they reached the bottom, they found several cars on rails. They weren't made to carry people, but each did have buttons to operate a start and stop. Most likely only one person was needed to move the car along until it reached the farms. The marines piled onboard several cars, Griffin assigning soldiers to pilot each one.

The ride through the tunnel was a bumpy one. The colonists hadn't seemed to put much thought into comfort, which didn't surprise Hannah. They were adventurers willing to take on the wilds of far flung planets—they had to be hearty folk. Hannah rode in the car at the front, recalling in her mind the length of the tunnel and where they would need to stop. When they reached the last reported location of the marines, Hannah called out to halt. A signal was sent back and the cars slowed. Hannah put her hand to her ear, hoping being underground wouldn't inhibit communication.

"Major, come in! Can you hear me?"

A voice stunted with static replied. "…Hite here…Templeton dead…pinned…batarians right in front…men down…"

"What is your current location?"

"Near…bays…"

"Repeat."

"…hangar bays…shelter inside…"

"We're coming." Hannah looked to Griffin. "At this point, we're maybe two hundred yards from the hangar bays."

Griffin nodded, gesturing to the squads. Hannah and Griffin took the lead. As they exited the tunnel, they heard the unmistakable sound of gun fire to their right. The squads moved forward through the buildings. Hannah and Griffin both crouched down and peered around a corner when the sound of gunfire made it apparent they were close. A group of batarians was firing towards the city hangar bays, ducking every so often, making it clear the marine squads sheltering in the hangar bays were firing back as able.

Hannah turned to Griffin. "Send a man up on the roof," she commanded, pointing above the building they crouched next to. Griffin called a man over and spoke with him shortly. The soldier immediately disappeared into the building. After a minute or so, Hannah's comm cracked to life.

"Commander, Lieutenant. There are two groups of batarians, about the same size, the one down the street and another fifty yards to their north."

Hannah nodded and eyed Griffin. "We'll need to divide the men, attack each group simultaneously, give Major Hite the chance to move in and join the fight."

"Agreed," Griffin returned. He began issuing orders to his soldiers. Griffin took half the group and moved out. Hannah stayed with the other half, waiting for Griffin's signal. After five minutes or so, she heard Griffin's voice in her ear. "Commander, we're in position."

"Attack on my signal." Hannah held her hand up, eyeing each soldier, the adrenaline of the coming battle pumping through her blood. "Now!" she commanded through the comm, lowering her hand at the same time.

Hannah found herself part of a mighty rush forward punctuated with the sound of rifles firing and soldiers yelling. She'd positioned men on top of the buildings to snipe the batarians the moment the squads moved in. The batarians in front of them turned, their four eyed faces wide in unbelief. Batarians fell right and left, the snipers doing their jobs. Hannah's assault rifle pinged out rhythmically, batarians falling before it. In mere moments she found herself right on top of the batarians. Some were already fleeing toward the hangar bays, trying desperately to get away. Most of Major Hite's squads had evidently exhausted their supply of bullets; as the heat was removed from them, soldiers came streaming out of the bays, fighting hand to hand with the fleeing batarians.

Hannah was soon surrounded by dead batarians. The enemy had been repulsed within minutes. Some kept fighting, but several were surrendering. She heard a sudden, angry cry and turned to see a batarian speeding towards her. His gun was apparently out of ammunition as he slung it like a club at her head. Hannah pulled out her shotgun and fired. The batarian rolled out of the way, sliding into her legs, knocking her to the ground. He was on top of her in seconds, screaming and cursing in his own tongue. Hannah then perceived he held a long knife in his hand and was raising it to plunge into her throat.

Hannah saw a brief vision of Jane in her mind. There was no way she was going to leave Jane an orphan. She flicked on her omni-tool, grateful for the newest upgrade that added a bayonet. She thrust her arm upwards, watching her blade slice through the batarian's stomach and sensing it exit his back. She pushed back on him with her knees and he slipped off the blade, collapsing to the ground, the knife falling out of his hand. She stood up, breathing quickly.

"Commander!" she heard a voice call out. Major Hite was running towards her. "I saw him rush you. He came out of nowhere, hiding in that gully." Hite pointed behind her.

"I'm alright, major," Hannah assured. "How are your men?"

"We're not good. I've got dead and injured both. We need to get the wounded back to the Einstein ASAP."

Hannah put her hand to her ear, speaking into her comm. "Jeffries, you got a location on us?"

"Affirmative, Commander," the helmsman replied.

"We need the shuttles here ASAP."

"Roger that."

"Shepard out." Hannah creased her eyebrows, concern still clouding her features. "What about the colonists?" she asked Hite.

"N7 attacked almost the same time you did. One ship got off, but the other was halted."

Griffin had appeared, his face sweaty and streaked with dirt. "I've contacted the Captain. He's aware of the ship. If I know the Captain, he won't let it get out of the system."

Hannah nodded. "Good work, Lieutenant."

Griffin returned the nod, respect reflected in his eyes. "You, too, ma'am."

"I think I'll willingly go back to staying onboard ship during actions like these," Hannah commented.

Griffin grinned. "Not your cup of tea?"

"I've just got a daughter to worry about."

Griffin nodded. "Understood, ma'am."

Hannah heard the sound of engines roaring overhead and the shuttles from the Einstein began to land outside the hangar bays. As they loaded the wounded into the shuttles, Maddock's voice sounded in Hannah's ear. "Commander, reinforcements have arrived. The planet's secured."

"Aye, Captain."

"Maddock out."

Hannah sensed someone standing close to her. Turning, she saw Ernesto standing behind her. His head bore a blood streak and his eyes were glazed over.

"Ernesto?" she asked. "You alright?" She placed a hand on his arm.

"The colonists…You should have seen them…They…" he stopped speaking and put his head in his hands.

"It's alright, Lieutenant."

"Yeah." Ernesto stumbled onboard one of the shuttles. Hannah regarded him with concern. She'd seen battle shock before. She hoped Ernesto's would fade quickly.

* * *

Once she was back on board the Einstein, Hannah was handed the unenviable task of accounting for all the colonists. She communicated with officers down below as they identified bodies and checked in with the Alliance ships that harbored survivors. When all was said and done, about fifty-six colonists remained missing. It was possible they had fled into the wilderness on Mindoir and would emerge once they realized the threat was gone. But Hannah knew otherwise. With such a large number of colonists missing, she knew they had to entertain the idea that the batarian ship that had fled upon their arrival carried off the missing colonists. The worst of it was that at this point, there wasn't anything they could do. The ship was long gone. The only outlet was the human ambassador on the Citadel, who had already filed a complaint with the council. The council, however, had stayed as distant as possible from the human-batarian conflict and Hannah didn't think much help would come from it.

The batarian ships that had orbited Mindoir fled once they realized they were outmatched. The batarian ship that had made a last ditch effort to get off planet had been stopped in its tracks by the Alliance ships above, forced to land again and met by waiting Alliance soldiers. They'd taken the batarians into custody. Luckily, Hannah didn't have to deal with the political fall out from that action. The cruisers took charge of the prisoners until it was decided what to do with them.

The refugees were to be ferried over to a neighboring planet for medical treatment and assessment. Hannah spent a little time with the colonists on board the Einstein as she tracked down survivors. She was horrified at the accounts they gave and the way they had been treated. Many had been killed outright when they resisted the batarians. Those that survived were beaten into submission and caged for transport as if they were nothing but animals. Some resisted even then, and if they did so, a batarian "doctor" sliced into their brain stems, implanting cranial control devices, carrying out the procedure without anesthetic. This vicious "surgery" caused many more colonists to die from shock.

Hannah was most disturbed by a woman she spoke with whose eyes appeared vacant of any emotion at all. Her niece was one of the missing colonists, a little girl of only six. The last time she had seen her niece, the little girl was in a cage, being carried across the town square, screaming for help and crying. The woman's story produced fiery anger in Hannah, who'd had to excuse herself. She'd gone to her quarters and sat quietly, keeping tears at bay.

Hannah lay back on her bed. Mindoir had been her first actual combat against a sentient species. Most of her marine duty had been spent protecting explorers from the wilds of untamed planets. She recalled Daniel's return from Shanxi and his guilt when he realized turians were aliens with families and lives outside of their military. Hannah felt no guilt whatsoever over the batarians she'd shot nor the one she'd stabbed through with her omni-tool. To her, they weren't batarians with families back on Khar'shan. They were the dregs of the galaxy, aliens without conscience. They had deserved to die.

Once the refugees had been dropped off, the Einstein resumed its regular patrol, but the events on Mindoir had shaken the entire crew. A memorial had been held for the deceased marines and their bodies were loaded onto one of the frigates for transport back to Arcturus Station. For weeks after it felt like a heaviness pervaded the ship, people trying to pretend all was right in the world when it wasn't. Slowly, time managed to heal the emotional scars and little by little, Hannah found the crew recovering—all that was except Ernesto.

Several weeks after Mindoir, Hannah found herself once again on duty in the CIC, tracing out sightings of a batarian ship, the Einstein shadowing it from a safe distance. She glanced over at the door that was supposed to be guarded by Ernesto. He hadn't shown up on time for work for the fifth time that week. Hannah and those on duty with her covered for him as best they could. Everyone knew he was suffering from what he had seen on Mindoir. They pitied him and didn't want to cause trouble for him.

_However,_ Hannah thought, staring at the post that should have been filled, _Maddock won't be patient forever. I'm sure he already sees through our posturing for Ernesto._ Ernesto's career was at stake. She turned to a fellow officer, Dobbins, and asked him to take over for her while she tracked down Ernesto.

Hannah normally didn't go out of her way to speak informally with the crew. It wasn't that she didn't want to be friendly, she just wanted to maintain respect for the chain of command. But Ernesto was different. She'd gotten to know him. He was a good man and he deserved a chance not to lose his job.

Hannah found him in the bowels of the ship, hidden away in a quiet section of engineering. Hannah recalled for herself her own cubby that had been her haven on the Avian, so many years ago. But she had never done what Ernesto had. She found him sitting on the floor, several empty bottles surrounding him. As she sat down next to him, he looked over at her. She could tell he was sober, which was good, but bothered her nonetheless. That meant the empty bottles were from previous binges.

"Lieutenant," Hannah began quietly, "You've got to stop this. You need help."

Ernesto snorted. "An Alliance shrink? No way. They'll mark down that I'm crazy in my file and I'll never be a soldier again."

"Who cares if it goes in your file? Your life is more important."

Ernesto shook his head, pulling a bottle out of his shirt. "Cook hid it. I found it." He began to fumble around, searching the floor. Hannah spied the bottle opener in front of her and deftly reached out, sliding it out of view.

"Where's my opener?" Ernesto asked, eyes darting all around the floor.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Hannah asserted. Ernesto said nothing, avoiding her eyes, but sighing and placing the bottle on the floor. "Everyone in the military has to learn how to deal with the things we see. Sometimes we need help thinking through our experiences."

"Yeah?" Ernesto challenged, "What did you need help with, Commander? Bet you never needed any help your entire life."

"You're wrong," Hannah spoke pointedly.

"Oh," Ernesto muttered. "What? First Contact War?"

"No," Hannah answered. "My husband fought in that one, not me. He needed me then to set him straight and keep him from going where you're headed."

"He make it?"

"He stopped himself from drinking his life away."

"Strong man," Ernesto mumbled.

"Yeah," Hannah agreed.

"Then what did you have to get over?" Ernesto asked, his eyes curious.

"Before we were married, my husband, Daniel, lost a leg on Demeter. I was the solider in charge of the mission."

Ernesto's eyebrows knit together. "How'd you get over it?"

"Captian Maddock told me not to let the guilt tear me apart. To talk about it. He was right."

"Maddock was there?"

Hannah nodded. "Captain of my first ship."

"Well, I'll be. Didn't know you knew the captain before now."

"Ernesto," Hannah spoke, using his personal name for the first time, emphasizing the importance of what she was about to say, "Mindoir can destroy you or make you stronger. You can drown yourself in anger and guilt or you can redouble your efforts to help other humans in the galaxy, let this experience propel you forward."

Ernesto sighed again, then pulled his legs into his chest, and linked his arms around his knees. "It's…the colonists, you see…We couldn't save them…"

"We caught the last ship," Hannah said, hoping to satisfy the broken man sitting next to her.

"We got that one, but what about the missing colonists? I _know_ what's happening to them, _you_ don't." Hannah opened her mouth to protest, but Ernesto angrily shouted. "You don't know! You didn't see it. You didn't watch what happened. And I'm _not_ going to tell you."

Hannah shut her mouth. She didn't know. She knew vicariously, not because she had been present. "Okay, I don't know and I'm not going to force you to talk to me. But it _will_ destroy you if you don't tell someone. Get some help, please." Hannah stood and reached down a hand. Ernesto let her help him stand. "We'll get you the help you need. For now, let's just get you back on duty today, alright?"

As Ernesto began to walk back through engineering, Hannah quickly leaned over and swiped the bottle still on the ground. Somehow she'd manage to secret it away and maybe some day, when Ernesto was better, they could share it.

* * *

But Ernesto didn't get better. He stopped coming to his post altogether. Multiple members of the crew tried to talk to him, but to no avail. Maddock himself tried to convince Lieutenant Zabaleta to take some leave and see an Alliance psychologist. Even that didn't help. Maddock eventually was forced to file discharge papers right before their return to Arcturus Station.

Hannah felt sorry for Ernesto, but she had done all she could. Her focus returned to Jane. She sent her a message, letting her know she'd be back home in a couple days. She received an unsettling response.

_Mom, so glad you're alright. The bodies of the marines killed on Mindoir arrived here several weeks ago. I wondered if you were involved. You'll have to tell me about it when you dock._

_Oh, and I met this guy, he's nice. He's a marine. Now, don't freak out, but he's twenty. But you said I could date at sixteen and it's only four years difference. You'll like him, mom. Love, Jane._

Hannah couldn't tell which part of the e-mail caused her to worry the most: the fact that Jane wanted her to discuss the horrors of Mindoir or the fact that an argument with Jane waited on the horizon when she refused to let her date a twenty year old.


	14. Date

Hannah carried her bag slung over her shoulder as she kept pace with Maddock. They had docked about an hour ago and both remained on the Einstein until night watches had been arranged. Now they were heading back to Maddock's apartment for some much needed R&R.

Hannah rolled her eyes to the left, glancing at Maddock with her peripheral vision. His hair was graying and wrinkles had appeared on his face, but he was still in perfect shape, still all muscle. She had such a strange relationship with him since she lived with his family, yet worked under him aboard the Einstein. She never knew how to talk to him. Should she speak as a peer or a subordinate?

"I've never been happier to be going home," Maddock breathed out.

Hannah turned her head to him, trying to assess if he expected an answer. She caught Maddock looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"At ease, Commander," he said. "I'm not speaking as your captain now."

Hannah nodded. "Then, I was just wondering how so. Why is this time different?"

"Mindoir," Maddock stated. "Nothing like the deaths of your comrades in arms to make you want to hold your family close again."

"That's true," Hannah agreed. She couldn't wait to see Jane. At least, she couldn't wait to hug her, to be close to her again. The whole dating a twenty year old thing, that she wasn't looking forward to.

"I just want to see Lourdes and Jules more than I have before," Maddock continued, speaking openly.

"And I Jane," Hannah added.

The apartment was now in sight. Maddock increased his pace and the door slid open at his approach. Lourdes, who had been sitting in the recliner, jumped to her feet, rushing over to him. They enveloped each other in a tender hug. Hannah watched them, standing to the side, a hint of regret and sadness squeezing her heart. If only she could hug Daniel again, feel his arms around her. She stopped her mind from continuing the thought. Dwelling on what she was missing never helped her live like she needed to.

Instead, she walked up to Lourdes, who let go of Maddock and then hugged Hannah. "Welcome back!" she declared.

"We're glad to be home."

"I should say so," Lourdes declared. "It was awful here," she continued, looking to Maddock, "they informed the military families here that an incident had taken place, but they didn't release names until three days later. When we saw the Einstein on the list, I think all of us almost lost it, but your names weren't on it." Lourdes' eyes had filled with mist. Maddock put a hand on her shoulder. She squeezed his hand with her own, then sighed loudly. "Well, anyway, you're here, that's all that matters."

"I'm going to change and then wait for Jane," Hannah said, excusing herself from the living room to give Maddock and Lourdes time alone. She went back to the bedroom she and Jane shared, grateful to get out of her uniform and slip into her comfortable sweats and t-shirt. She was nervous to see Jane, to have to confront her. She hated arguing with Jane. She began to wonder if Lourdes knew anything about this guy Jane had met. After a while, when she felt she'd given Maddock and Lourdes enough time, she ambled slowly back to the living room. Lourdes was alone, sitting in the recliner again, reading her data pad. Hannah sat down on the couch and Lourdes looked up, smiling.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah," Hannah conceded. "It's always nice to get out of uniform and relax a little."

"Well, Jane's good," Lourdes concentrated on her data pad again, but kept speaking. "They'll be out of school in about forty minutes."

Hannah nodded. "Yeah…"

Lourdes glanced up at her. "Let me guess. You're thinking about Terry."

"Is that his name?" Hannah asked, trying it on for size inside her head.

"Yep. And Jane's awestruck."

Hannah sighed. "How much has she told you?"

"Well, not much, really. I just gather they have a lot in common, same interests in music and books. She _says_ he's deep, but the few times I've met him, I mean, how much can you tell?"

"You met him?"

"She hasn't gone on any dates," Lourdes assured. "I told her you were the one she had to ask about that. But he did come by to walk her to school each day last week."

"Great," Hannah muttered.

"I don't think he's really that bad," Lourdes asserted gently.

"But Jane's only sixteen!" Hannah protested.

"That's true," Lourdes consented. She focused on her data pad, obviously not wanting to provoke Hannah any farther.

Hannah crossed her arms over her chest. Lourdes' comment sent her thoughts into confusion. She'd come back on station determined to lay down the law with Jane and tell her she couldn't date this guy. But Lourdes seemed to like him. _Am I just being a stodgy old mother?_ Hannah asked herself. She stewed in her own mind for the next forty minutes until the door slid open and admitted Jane and Jules. Hannah stood up to greet Jane.

Jane ran over to Hannah, squeezing her in a bear hug. "I'm so glad you're back!" She pulled back from Hannah, her eyes gleaming. Hannah recognized in her daughter a new type of liveliness she'd never seen before. _Oh the joys of ignorant puppy love_, she thought to herself.

Jules said a quick hi to his mom, then stomped off down the hall, throwing a furious glance at Jane as he went.

"I'll go talk to Jules," Lourdes offered, standing and exiting the room; Hannah suspected she wanted to give her some alone time to talk to Jane.

"So what happened on Mindoir?" Jane asked, dropping her school bag to the floor and plopping down on the couch. Hannah took a seat next to her.

"There isn't much to it," Hannah said, not wanting to go into details. "Batarian slavers attacked the planet, we rescued those we could."

"Come on, mom, lots of marines died. There was more to it than that." Jane eyed Hannah with a knowing look.

"Yes, but it isn't pleasant to discuss. Let's just say batarian slavers are vicious, ruthless animals. You never want to be caught by one of them."

Jane nodded. "Alright. I get it. I know they're bad…Did you go down to Mindoir?"

"Why is Jules upset?" Hannah asked, evading the question.

"Oh," Jane said, glancing down the hall towards the bedrooms. "Well, he thinks I've been spending too much time with…uh, Terry." Jane stared intently at Hannah, apparently trying to read her mother's reaction.

"What have you been doing with Terry?" Hannah asked, trying to make her voice sound curious and not demanding.

Jane seemed to take Hannah's question as a good sign. "He's been walking me to and from school. We met in the shooting range. He saw how good I was and then we got talking and we hit it off right away. He's a really good guy."

"How long have you known him?"

"Well, um…" Jane paused, as if thinking back, but in reality, Hannah perceived she was delaying a response. "Like, uh…maybe two and a half weeks."

"_Two _weeks?"

"And a half. But he's so awesome, mom. I mean, he's really great. You just have to meet him."

"And he's twenty?"

Jane sighed. "Yeah, but that's only four years between us. Terry says I'm so much more mature than other girls and he sees me as older."

Hannah took a deep breath. "Jane, I know you like this boy and maybe he's a good guy, but he's twenty and you're sixteen. You don't really know him. And trust me, I know marines, and a lot of them only want one thing out of young girls."

"Oh right!" Jane shouted, standing up and starting to pace the living room. "I _knew_ this was what you would say. Terry's not like that at all."

"I'm not saying he is. I'm saying he might be and you don't really know him enough to know yet."

"We've talked for _hours_, mom. I _know_ him."

"I know you think you do…" Hannah began when Jane interrupted, pointing a finger at her.

"And how long did you know dad before he proposed?"

"That was different!" Hannah exclaimed.

"You'd been together, what, a month? And you married dad then."

"We knew each other before," Hannah tried to reason with Jane.

"Yeah and dad kissed you when you were twelve! I'm sixteen and no one's ever kissed me!" Jane stopped pacing and fell into the recliner, her face turned away from Hannah.

Hannah stopped herself from launching into all the reasons she'd concluded Jane wouldn't be dating this Terry. Instead, she tried to remember what it was like to be Jane's age, to feel awkward and especially unloved when boys didn't notice you because you were too intimidating. She understood, but it didn't mean she felt alright about Terry.

"Jane," Hannah began, sitting forward on the couch, her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, "You're a beautiful and smart girl. Just because a lot of boys don't ask you out doesn't mean you aren't. You can't base your worth on boys."

Jane blew out an angry breath. "I'm not. I just like Terry."

Hannah shook her head. She hated to do this to Jane. She didn't want to hurt her self-esteem, but there was no way she was letting some random marine date her daughter. "I think you need to…"

"Mom," Jane said suddenly, sitting up and staring straight at Hannah, "I finally have something that makes me happy. When I think about Terry, then dad's death doesn't torment me as much. Please don't make me give up Terry. I need him."

Hannah felt chastised by Jane's words. Of course. She didn't know why it hadn't occurred to her before. For two years Jane had struggled to put on a happy face, to pretend her dad hadn't left her. This _was_ the happiest Jane had seen her daughter in a long time. Hannah's decision regarding Terry did a 180 in her mind. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Jane was getting to know this boy, but there would have to be rules.

"I want to meet him," Hannah said, sitting back against the couch.

Jane's eyes lit up in excitement. "So, I can see him?"

"Tentatively," Hannah clarified. "I want to meet him personally first."

"Good, because he's taking me on our first date tonight. I'll call him and tell him to come by early. Thanks, mom!" Jane bounded off down the hall before Hannah could interrupt and respond.

First date? Tonight? Hannah lay down on the couch, completely flummoxed. _Daniel_, she spoke inside, _I really wish you were here right now._

* * *

The chime to the apartment sounded at 1830 on the dot. _At least he's punctual_, Hannah thought to herself. Jane flew down the hall to answer the door. Hannah noticed she had actually put on a dress. Jane usually refused to wear dresses unless forced to. But now she was wearing one Hannah had bought her, a knee length fancy turquoise one with gems sewn in a pretty pattern down the left side. Hannah thought she also spied makeup on her daughter, but where she'd gotten that, Hannah didn't know.

The door slid open and Jane warmly welcomed Terry inside. Hannah stood in the living room, sizing up the young man. He was clean cut, tall, broad-chested. He'd obviously dressed for the occasion, decked out in his dress uniform. Maybe someone had informed him whose daughter he had fallen for and who she lived with. Indeed, Maddock was also present, sitting in the recliner, his face solemn.

Terry glanced nervously around the living room as Jane took his hand and led him into it. He stood straight as an arrow, at attention.

"This is my mom," Jane introduced.

Hannah held out her hand and Terry took it. "Terry." She felt nervous tremors in his hand as she shook it.

"Commander," Terry greeted in a strained voice.

"And this is Captain Maddock," Jane said, pointing to Maddock, who had stood and walked to Terry to also shake his hand.

"Captain," Terry said, shaking his hand, then saluting.

"At ease," Maddock commanded. Terry put his hand down, but he certainly didn't seem at ease. "Have a seat."

Terry sat on the couch along with Jane, while Maddock went back to the recliner and Hannah sat in the love seat across from the couch.

"So, Terry," she asked, "Where are you from?"

"Uh, Earth, ma'am," Terry spoke. "Kansas."

Hannah nodded. "How are your parents?"

"Oh, fine. I don't see them much. They still live in Kansas. My dad's a computer engineer there. My mom's a school teacher."

So far, so good, Hannah thought, though she didn't know how much you could really tell about a person from his parents. Terry kept shifting his eyes to Maddock, who sat silently in the recliner, his eyes boring into the marine. Hannah hoped Terry was getting the message Maddock was sending: mess with Jane, mess with Maddock.

"You're a marine. Why?"

"Uh…" Terry ran a hand through his hair. "Just, adventure, I guess?"

Hannah took a breath. So, he wasn't grounded yet, that was for sure. "What do you want to do with your life?"

"Uh, I don't know. Marines for a while, then figure it out along the way."

_Jane and this guy have a lot in common?_ Hannah asked herself. Jane was far more planned, already checking into colleges with degrees in alien languages.

"Where you going tonight?" It was Maddock who suddenly spoke, his voice low.

"Restaurant," Terry squeaked out, "Starry Night."

Maddock nodded. "You'll have her back by 2200."

"Yes, sir," Terry agreed swiftly.

Silence descended on the living room. Hannah couldn't think of anything else to ask Terry without making it too personal and embarrassing for Jane. What she really wanted to ask was: _Are you trying to get in my daughter's underwear?_ But she didn't bring the subject up. She gazed at Jane who was beaming at Terry as if he was the only person in the room. She shook her head. Her daughter had fallen hard for this guy.

"Well, go ahead, then," Hannah said, standing. "Have a good time."

Terry and Jane stood, then walked out the door, Jane waving to her mother as the door shut.

Hannah turned to Maddock. "What do you think?"

Maddock shrugged. "Typical clueless newbie. No ambition. Maybe he's good, maybe he isn't. Wish they wore character signs to identify which they are."

Hannah could agree with that as she contemplated the door. If he did anything to Jane, she might find herself in jail for murder.

* * *

Hannah managed two hours of waiting before she couldn't take it anymore. She kept looking at her data pad for the time. It was 2016. She couldn't keep her mind on anything but Jane alone with a possibly hot to trot marine. She finally gave up on the book she was reading after she'd read the same sentence ten times. She stood and paced in the bedroom. Her eye fell on a picture sitting on her night side stand. She picked the frame up and stared at the picture. Daniel and herself stared back at her. The picture had been taken on one of the mountains of Eden Prime when they'd gone there for their 15th wedding anniversary. Love had seemed so simple between them. Daniel had been straightforward about his intentions. They hadn't even dated really. They had just known it was right.

But Jane? Jane was so young, with no experience in love at all. How did Hannah know she could trust the man Jane was with? How could she place her most precious treasure in his hands?

"Daniel," she spoke to the picture, "What would you do?" She thought a second, then laughed. Daniel would have met Terry at the door, shotgun in hand.

Hannah abruptly turned and opened the closet, picking out a pair of dark pants and shirt and slipping them on. She marched down the hallway and through the living room, where Lourdes and Maddock were watching television.

"I'm going out," she commented. As she glimpsed back as the door slid shut, Lourdes winked at her and Maddock nodded, completely aware of what she was up to.

* * *

Hannah had to admit she felt guilty spying on Jane. It wasn't really spying, she tried to convince herself, she was just making sure Jane was okay. She made a beeline for the Starry Night first, but they had obviously already left. That was when Hannah told herself she was overreacting and she might as well go back to the apartment. They could be anywhere.

She'd almost headed back to the Maddocks', when she caught sight of a turquoise color several meters away from the restaurant. She sat down on a bench and strained her eyes trying to identify the person in turquoise. It was Jane alright. She and Terry were sitting at an ice cream parlor, having desert, Jane doing most of the talking, Terry watching her appreciatively.

_So,_ Hannah thought, _they're doing nothing but innocently having ice cream. Why are you out here? Go back home._

But then Jane and Terry stood up and strolled hand in hand down the hall. Hannah couldn't help but satisfy her curiosity. She followed several meters behind them, keeping out of their line of sight. They left the "family" entertainment district and headed down to the lower levels. Hannah wondered where they could be going. Jane didn't seem to know as she shrugged and shook her head at Terry.

They finally stopped on a level that contained several shops. Hannah continued to shadow them, thinking maybe Terry wanted to buy Jane a gift. But he directed her past all the shops and made directly for the venue at the end of the level. Hannah almost ran up to them to grab Jane and take her back home, but the fear of breaking her relationship with her daughter held her back. Terry had taken Jane straight into the Crow's Nest, a well-known club catering to the marines on station. It had an acceptable reputation, but Hannah did recall several fights taking place there and she assumed it was full of drunk marines whose inhibitions removed could cause them to go after any naïve young woman that drifted into the place.

Hannah entered the club, tracking Jane and Terry to a table where they sat down. Hannah found an empty table on the second level, a perfect position from which she could watch Jane. Jane was still underage. Terry had better not order her an alcoholic drink.

Terry spoke to a server, smiling at Jane, who smiled back. After a while, the server returned handing Terry and Jane a couple glasses. Hannah couldn't tell what Jane's contained. She watched them drink, but suddenly became more agitated when four other marines appeared and sat down at the table. Terry's friends, she guessed.

Everyone at the table began to talk and laugh. Jane looked out of place among them, but she was holding her own, offering comments here and there. She seemed to be getting along well on her own. Hannah's feelings of worry began to fade. It was good seeing Jane enjoy herself. She deserved some fun after the last two difficult years.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Hannah looked up, startled at the deep voice that sounded above her. A handsome man with skin the color of chocolate smiled confidently down at her. She estimated he had to be about ten years younger than her.

"Uh…" Hannah didn't know what to say. "I don't really want anything, but thanks."

The man sat down at her table. "I'm not coming onto you, if that's what you think."

Hannah couldn't help but smile ironically. "Well, I did wonder why a spring chicken was asking an old hen if she wanted a drink."

The man laughed. "That's a strange saying."

"My dad's," Hannah said, laughing along with him.

"I'm a friend of Lieutenant Griffin's. He pointed you out."

"Oh. He's here?"

The man pointed and Hannah saw Griffin sitting with a group of marines from the Einstein. He waved at her and she waved back.

"So, why did _you_ come over then?"

"Griffin's been bragging about what you did on Mindoir. Sounds impressive and worth toasting."

"Well, we were lucky, that's all."

"Sure. So, you want a drink now that you know I'm not looking to get some?"

Hannah studied the man in front of her. He may have been younger than her, but his careworn expression revealed someone who'd already faced a lot at his age. Even through his laughter, she sensed unvoiced pain. "Why not?" she said. The man called over a server. Hannah turned her eyes back towards the table on the far side of the room. Jane was speaking animatedly to the group of marines.

"So, who are you here to spy on?"

"I'm not spying!" Hannah defended a little too adamantly, turning back to the handsome man.

"That's what it certainly looks _and_ sounds like."

Hannah sighed. "My daughter."

"Ah, here with a marine?"

"Yeah."

"I understand. Mother hen, right?"

Hannah chuckled. "Something like that."

"Who is he?"

Hannah nodded her head towards Jane's table. The man peered down at the lower floor. "Well, I'm guessing she's the teenager surrounded by marines down there?"

Hannah nodded.

"Terry Taggart. Is he the one?"

"That's him," Hannah assented. "You know him."

"Not well. He's too immature, if you ask me. Directionless."

"I caught on to that."

The server returned with the drinks. The man held his drink up and Hannah copied his movements. "To a commander who kicked batarian ass on Mindoir."

Hannah smiled and took a swig, then placed her glass on the table.

"I don't think you're going to need to worry about Terry," the man commented.

"Oh?"

"Your daughter's doing a good job of taking care of him for you," he said, gesturing with the glass in his hand towards the floor below.

Hannah turned to see Jane standing at the door to the club, obviously angry, motioning wildly at Terry who had his hands up in a gesture of surrender. She was yelling something, but Hannah couldn't hear through the noise of the club. Jane turned on her heel and left the club in a huff, Terry throwing his hands in the air and sauntering back over to the table where his friends still sat.

Hannah looked back at the man she'd just shared a drink with. "I'm sorry, I've got to go."

"No problem," the man answered.

Hannah stood up and headed towards the entrance, only half-hearing Griffin call out to the man, "Hey, David, ask the Commander to join us!" and the man named David answering, "She's busy."

* * *

Hannah forced herself to take her time getting back to the apartment. She didn't want to show up too soon after Jane and awaken any suspicion concerning her activities in the last hour. When she felt the gap in time was enough, she went back to the apartment. Jane wasn't in the living room. Lourdes and Jules were, though, playing a game on a video board. Lourdes nodded with her head down the hall.

Hannah returned the nod gratefully and walked down the hall to the bedroom. The door was closed. Hannah knocked before entering.

"You can come in," she heard Jane answer glumly.

Hannah touched the panel on the side and the door slid open to reveal Jane already in her pajamas and in bed.

"Hey," Hannah said.

"Hey," Jane answered, reaching out for her data pad and flicking it on. As Hannah began to get ready for bed, she glanced over at Jane, perceiving her reading was a farce, as her eyes kept wandering up and glazing over as if she was thinking of something else. Hannah brushed her teeth and hair, then climbed into the bed on the other side of the room from Jane's. She lay on her side, her head propped up by her arm.

"So, how was tonight?"

Jane shrugged her shoulders and focused on the data pad. Hannah sighed, laying down on the bed and closing her eyes. Maybe Jane would open up tomorrow. She felt the darkness of sleep descending, then a far away voice called her back to wakefulness.

"Do you hate batarians?"

Hannah opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Jane. "That's a question from out of nowhere."

"Well, do you?" Jane stared at her intently.

Hannah contemplated. "Well…" She could honestly say she certainly harbored no good feelings towards Balak or the batarian slavers that had attacked Mindoir. But did she hate batarians in general? Her mind drifted to Keta, who she hadn't seen in years, but who she still respected.

"Not all," she finally said.

"But you do hate some of them?"

Hannah rolled back over onto her side, her head propped up again, looking at Jane. "I think of them as individuals," Hannah explained. "You have to look at the individuals, not just the species. I'm not sorry batarian slavers died on Mindoir. But not all batarians are like them. A lot of them are sequestered by their government on their planet and I'm willing to bet many of them are honorable."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "Just like turians. Not all of them wanted the First Contact War."

"Yes, like that," Hannah agreed. "You can't judge an entire race through one incident. Your father learned that the hard way."

"He did?" Jane asked, sitting up in her bed. "How?"

Hannah sat up in her own. "I didn't think he'd ever told you what happened on Shanxi."

"He just said he fought them and he thought everyone in the galaxy should try to get along."

Hannah smiled sadly. "He found a photo album on a dead turian with videos and pictures of him with his family. He realized then how you couldn't generalize another species."

Jane nodded. "No wonder he wanted the galaxy to get along."

"So, why the sudden interest in batarians?"

Jane twisted her lips, thinking. "Well, it's not just batarians, really. Aliens in general." Jane blew out a long breath, then fixed Hannah with a gaze. "Terry and I were having a good time, but we went to a…uh…club." She scrutinized Hannah to see how she would take the news. Hannah didn't react, so she went on. "And his friends came over and they started to talk about batarians and how much they hated them, which I guess didn't bother me right off because of Mindoir. But then they started bashing all the other races in the galaxy, saying how humanity was so much better and we should wipe everyone else out of the galaxy." She paused, Hannah waiting a moment to determine if she was finished. Jane started talking again after a few seconds. "And I told them I wanted to learn alien languages, and they started to make fun of me and asked if I even cared about humanity." Jane looked angrily at Hannah. "Of course I care about humanity! That's why I think we should get along with aliens!"

Hannah nodded. "You're right, Jane."

"I know, but Terry didn't think so. Though, there was one guy in the bunch, he was N7, he actually agreed with me and they gave him a hard time, too." Jane sighed. "So I just left." Jane put her data pad on her night side stand and lay back forcefully on the bed. "Guys suck."

Hannah laughed inwardly, but controlled her voice when she spoke aloud. "Not all guys suck just like not all aliens are bad. You just have to be careful, watch a man's life and character, make sure he's a guy you're really willing to spend your life with."

"Yeah," Jane assented quietly, her eyes on the ceiling. "Dad was a great guy."

"Yes, he was," Hannah said softly. "Don't worry Jane. Someday you'll find the right one and when you do, make a commitment to him. Always love him."

Jane turned her head to look at Hannah. "Okay."

"Ready to sleep now?"

"Yeah."

Hannah touched the panel next to her bed and the lights in the room faded out.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, honey."

Hannah soon heard Jane's soft breathing coming from across the room, but she was still wide awake. She was thinking of Jane getting married someday, having children, making a life of her own. What did Jane's future hold in store? And what man would she give her heart to? He had better be a good man, or he'd find his mother-in-law breathing down his neck for the rest of his life.


	15. Graduation

Hannah skimmed through the calendar on her data pad. Two dates blinked red: April 11th and May 2nd. In little over a month, Jane would turn eighteen and then a mere three weeks after that, graduate from high school. Hannah felt both pride and fear at what was coming. She was proud of Jane who had earned the honor of being her class' salutatorian. She'd been working on her speech for two months, wanting to impart the right words of wisdom to her classmates. Hannah's fear came from the fact that Jane would soon be stepping into real life on her own. When Hannah had graduated, she'd faced a big world out there—now it was a big galaxy. Jane's opportunities were too numerous to count, but her potential for pain and distress had doubled, too.

The last two years hadn't been easy for humanity. The animosity between the humans and batarians had increased exponentially since the Citadel Council refused to limit human expansion into the Skyllian Verge. The result of this refusal was the self-imposed removal of the batarian embassy from the Citadel and a drawing back of all batarians to their home and colonial worlds. After this pilgrimage back to batarian space, the batarians had gone silent. Hannah thought of the batarians as a species biding its time, waiting for the right moment for its indignation to burst forth again into the galaxy. That day would be violent, she had no doubt.

Then there were the problems on Earth. Terra Firma had gained more seats in the Parliament and its paranoid voice was finding more of a hearing as humanity witnessed the dangers of a wider galaxy. Voices that cried out against aliens became more persistent and louder by the day. Even scarier than Terra Firma was Cerberus, a terrorist organization that used any means at its disposal to elevate humanity and lower alien races. As someone who disagreed with both Terra Firma's and Cerberus' goals, Jane would face at the least ideological enemies as she moved into adulthood.

But Jane was tough, Hannah reminded herself. Jane may have been academic in many ways, but she was also physically impressive. She'd chosen combat art as her elective sport in high school and had become quite proficient at it, earning several medals. She'd also bested competition in marksman shooting, which Hannah understandably bragged about to anyone who would listen. Hannah knew Jane would be able to take care of herself out there—but her mother's heart still feared letting her baby go.

_Look_, Hannah spoke to herself, trying to instill comfort in her mind, _Jane's not even going out into the galaxy yet. She's just going to college in the Sol System_. Jane had received at least four scholarships: three from Earth colleges and one from a college on Mars. One of the Earth scholarships was a full ride. Hannah hoped Jane would choose that particular school, at least partially to relieve the financial burden on their family of two. But whatever school she chose, Hannah knew Jane would excel. The study of alien languages was perfect for her daughter. What exactly she would do with the degree, Jane was still contemplating.

Hannah set her data pad down on her desk. She gazed out the window at the stars far in the distance. She was still Staff Commander on the Einstein. She had thought by now she would have her own ship, but things hadn't worked out that way. She'd put her own dreams on the backburner so she could be the mother Jane needed. She hoped she'd done a good job, instilling in Jane the capability to face the real world. She wanted to see Jane successful and yet, she wasn't ready to be alone. At the end of the coming summer, Jane would leave for college and she'd face utter loneliness. Maddock said she could still live with his family, but Hannah had declined. She'd taken advantage of their hospitality long enough. She'd find a small apartment of her own on Arcturus Station. She didn't need much as she spent most of her time on the Einstein anyway.

Hannah glanced back down at her data pad. Time for her shift to start. She stood up and walked to the door. As she marched to the CIC, she traced the passage of time in her head. Maddock had guaranteed her two months leave to cover Jane's birthday and graduation and a vacation for both the Shepard women. Hannah wanted to spend some time alone with Jane before sending her off into a treacherous galaxy.

* * *

A week before Jane's birthday, Hannah arrived back on Arcturus Station. She couldn't wait to see her little girl, now not so little. When she and Maddock reached his apartment and the door slid open, Jane was waiting. She leaped up from the couch and gave Hannah a long hug, much longer than Hannah could ever remember her giving before. As Jane pulled back, Hannah noted reluctance in her manner and perceived trepidation in her eyes, which seemed to be trying to cover some inner hidden thought. She wanted to ask Jane what she was thinking, but she had learned over time that the best way to get information out of Jane was to let her tell you in her own time. So she pushed her curiosity to the back of her mind while she chatted with Jane about the goings on—how school was ending, what the plans were for graduation and Jane's desires for her birthday.

"I don't want to do anything big," Jane advanced. "Well, by that I mean I don't want lots of people involved. I kind of want to go to The Observatory." She raised her eyes at Hannah hopefully. Hannah joined Jane on the couch, pondering the pricey rotating restaurant.

"Oh, that's a good idea," Lourdes gushed from the love seat. "Maddy and I went there for our 25th wedding anniversary. Beautiful view."

Hannah smiled imperceptibly at the term of endearment Lourdes used for Maddock. It sounded so informal and strange to her ears every time she heard it.

Maddock snorted from down the hall as he headed towards his bedroom to change. "But it costs a pretty penny!" Hannah heard the bedroom door open and close.

Lourdes grinned. "He can grouse, but he _did_ like it. Talked about the food for weeks afterwards."

"I want to go!" Jules announced from the floor where he lay on his stomach, drawing on his data pad. Jules was now an incorrigible fifteen year old. He'd thrown his introverted self to the wind, becoming an opinionated and stubborn teenager. Jane's friendship with him still remained, though it had cooled over time. Their views on most things political differed and Jane had matured to the point where adult concerns had begun to dominate her mind. They had little in common that drew them to each other any longer.

"Of course you'll go…Julie," Jane spoke condescendingly, her tone clearly meant to tease.

Jules glared at her. He _hated_ being called Julie, a nickname his mother used every now and then that echoed Maddock's. Jane, of course, knew this and at times took advantage of her knowledge to torture him with it.

"I won't go if you call me that," Jules declared, drawing a finger over his data pad, creating a landscape painting.

"Alright. Sorry. But of course you and your mom and dad will be there. Maybe a couple friends."

Hannah cocked her head. "And how expensive _is_ The Observatory?"

Jane's face fell, knowing that the price of the dinners were most likely far out of their range. "Well…I'm not sure."

"We'll pay for our family," Lourdes proclaimed, smiling at Jane. "You deserve a good birthday, Jane."

Hannah nodded thankfully to Lourdes. If the Maddocks paid for their meals, then that left only Jane, herself and a couple friends to pay for. She could manage that. "That settles it, then. We'll go to The Observatory."

Jane beamed. "Thanks, mom!"

"Now, how about dinner?" Lourdes interjected. "I made my famous corn soufflé and Texas style ribs."

"Sounds great!" Hannah spoke enthusiastically. Food on the Einstein always paled in comparison to Lourdes' culinary skill.

* * *

After a satisfying dinner, Hannah retreated back to the living room, relaxing on the couch. The Maddocks' apartment had become home to her and the comfort she felt whenever she returned always lulled her into a state of lethargy. She often wondered what she would have done if Maddock hadn't offered living space to herself and Jane after Daniel died. Luckily, she'd never had to find out.

Jane entered slowly from the dining room and leaned against the back of the couch, tapping her foot on the ground. Hannah looked over, once again sensing Jane was troubled over something. Hannah found herself observing her daughter, now so close to being a woman. In the last two years, maturity had raced forward, pushing aside the teen years to blossom into adulthood. She mused over what it was going to be like relating to Jane as an adult.

"Mom?" Jane spoke quietly, turning her head to look at her mother.

"Yes?"

"Can we go on a walk?"

"Okay," Hannah nodded, recognizing that Jane wanted to be alone with her, presumably to reveal what was weighing heavily on her mind.

The door slid open as mother and daughter exited side by side. As they paced down the hall, Hannah compared their heights. Jane was only a little shorter than her, probably only by half an inch. They now looked at each other eye to eye. _We're more like peers now_, Hannah thought to herself. _She's just so grown up_.

They walked to a park not far from the apartment. Arcturus Station was peppered with parks, places provided for inhabitants to get away from stuffy apartment life. They gave the impression of being outdoor parks, complete with swings and slides and flourishing greenery. The illusion was broken, however, by the metal sky above and the green carpeted floor below. Jane sauntered over to a bench and sat down, staring at some children playing several meters away.

"What's on your mind?" Hannah asked as she sat, opening the door for Jane to express her inner thoughts.

Jane directed nervous eyes towards her mother. "I have to tell you something."

Hannah narrowed her eyes. "You're not engaged?"

"What? No!" Jane clarified, waving her hands in the air to emphasize her reply.

Hannah began to laugh.

Jane shook her head, realizing her mother had just been razzing her. Jane hadn't dated any guys the past two years, having sworn off boys for the rest of her high school years after Terry. At least the tension had been broken, Hannah thought, as Jane chuckled softly.

"I'm _not_ engaged," Jane said with a smile that quickly faded. "But…I have made a life changing decision." Jane took a deep breath. "I'm not going to study alien languages at college. I want to do something else."

Now, Hannah's stomach churned in wary anticipation. The way Jane stated she wanted to do something else, Hannah expected her to divulge she wanted to do something impractical with little financial security, like be an opera singer or dolphin trainer. What Jane said next wasn't so surprising, and yet, unexpected.

"I'm going to join the military."

Hannah creased her eyebrows. Jane had never given any indication she wanted to follow in her father and mother's footsteps. Sudden anxiety gripped Hannah's chest.

"Why?"

Jane leaned over on the bench, her elbows on her knees, resting her chin on her clasped hands. "I've given this a lot of thought while you've been gone. The only job that really makes sense if I study alien languages is translating alien works for humans to read or maybe helping politicians or merchants understand the subtleties of alien contractual agreements." Jane paused a moment. "But I want to do more than that. I want to help people, like you." Jane sat up, fixing her gaze on Hannah. "I want to actually make a difference between aliens and humans and the best way to accomplish that now is in the military."

"Or be a politician yourself," Hannah put forward, not that she wanted Jane to choose that kind of career either, but it was at least better than the military.

"I couldn't stand the red tape," Jane muttered. Hannah knew she'd had her fill of it living in the capital of the Systems Alliance. "Or the kowtowing to keep being elected."

Hannah took a deep breath. "Being in the military isn't an easy life."

"I know that," Jane insisted. "I've watched you enough."

"Then you know it takes you away from your family all the time. And you'll have to face possibly hazardous situations, be willing to place yourself in danger." Hannah pleaded inwardly with Jane: _Please listen to me! Don't do something that could take you away from me!_

"That's why I want to be the best. I want to go to basic training, become an officer and pursue N7 training."

Hannah gazed at her daughter, stunned. N7? The Interplanetary Combatives Training program had been developed several years after Hannah had completed her own marine training. It was an aggressive program, known for pushing soldiers to the breaking point. Only the toughest and the best held the N7 rank. Hannah stared at Jane. She knew her daughter was strong and skilled, but N7 strong?

"Jane, that program is intense, difficult. Few make it through."

"But I will," Jane spoke determinedly. "I've thought this through, mom. This is what I want to do."

Hannah's thoughts were jumbled inside. This was such an extreme shift for her to make, from thinking her daughter would find a relatively safe job through her study of alien languages to knowing the dangerous life Jane would face if she became an Alliance soldier. Who knew what challenges awaited the Alliance military in the coming years?

"What brought on this change of mind?" Hannah asked, wanting not just an answer to her question, but time to think about what Jane had told her.

Jane turned her attention back to the children playing. "Well, I've been thinking about it for a while. I like to study and learn, but what I really want to do more than anything is act. I want to get out there and make a difference in the galaxy, not sit around with my nose in a book all the time."

Hannah could appreciate Jane's sentiments, as they echoed her own at Jane's age. It was a bit disconcerting listening to Jane and hearing herself.

"So I decided just to check it out and went by the marine recruiting station a couple months ago. I was waiting to ask some questions, and this guy and a couple others were in line ahead of me. I haven't seen him around school, but he's probably just not in our district. Anyway, I think he's a year younger than me since the officer on duty told him he couldn't sign up for at least a year, until he was eighteen." Jane paused, her eyes intent, reflecting her focused thoughts.

"And…" Hannah prompted.

"The thing was," Jane said, turning to look at Hannah again, "he obviously had some illness of some kind. He was pale and he had braces on his legs and walked with crutches. The officer commented how he wasn't marine material, what with his disease and all. But then the guy said he wanted to try for flight school and just wanted to know where to go to sign up. He told the officer he was _going_ to be in the military, that he was _going_ to do humanity proud out there.

"When he left, I thought that if some guy with broken legs and a debilitating disease wanted to help humanity through the military, then I could, too. That if people are willing to sign up even in his condition, there has to be something about the Alliance military that pushes humanity to greatness."

Hannah stared at Jane as if seeing her for the first time. It was like in the last two months she'd become an old woman with years of experience. Jane had assessed humanity's situation accurately. The true frontier for humanity rested on the edge of the galaxy and the military had its fingers in every part of it. Yes, explorers and scientists had their own part to play, but it was the military that moved the parts and made humanity function in the larger universe. If Jane wanted to truly be where the action was, she was making the right choice.

"Jane," Hannah spoke slowly, seriously. "Are you _sure_? I'm not trying to force you not to follow me, but you've got to be certain. This decision will change your life forever. You won't be your own person the minute you sign up. You'll belong to the Systems Alliance and they'll tell you where to go and what to do. And sometimes that will require you to do things you don't want to, like going down to Mindoir when commanded to do so and realizing if something goes wrong and you don't make it, people who depend on you will be devastated."

Jane's eyes widened. "So you did go down there."

Hannah nodded. "Yeah. And I almost died. I could have left you alone."

"But it would have been for a good reason, mom," Jane insisted. "I would have hated to lose you, but you had to do it, to save the marines, to save the colonists. This is what I mean. Dad fought to help people and you fought to help people. I want to help people, too, and even more than that. I want to be part of helping the galaxy get along. I know there's got to be a way to do that, and I don't see it happening behind a politician's desk."

Jane paused and Hannah took a deep breath, her mind in a whirlwind. She had a feeling no matter what she said, Jane was going to pursue this change in career path.

"Do you remember Grant and Lee at Appomattox?" Jane suddenly asked.

Hannah cocked her head. She remembered her Earth military history well. "Yes."

"I think Abraham Lincoln was a good man," Jane spoke, "But he didn't really end the Civil War. When it came down to it, peace was made through two great military leaders, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. They recognized the truth, they saw what needed to happen and they made the peace. And they didn't even hate each other when they did it. I just can't help but wonder if it's going to take war to bring unity to the galaxy and if that's true, then that's where I want to be."

Once again, Hannah was flabbergasted. Jane had thought this out all the way through. How could she not support what Jane was saying? She had no choice.

Hannah put a hand on Jane's leg. "Then do it. I know you'll make your dad and me proud."

Jane smiled confidently. "I will. I promise."

* * *

A month later, Hannah sat in an auditorium on Arcturus with Maddock, Lourdes and Jules right beside her. Jane sat on stage, beaming at her graduation ceremony. As the program progressed, Hannah didn't follow it much. She was lost in her own thoughts. Her hand nervously tapped the graduation program against her knee. Jane had enlisted the day she turned eighteen. They'd celebrated that night at The Observatory, Arcturus' fancy restaurant that circled 360 degrees every two hours and provided its patrons with a constant view of the stars from all directions. Jane had tasted her first wine that night, a ceremonious rite of passage into her adult years. There, in the midst of celebration, Hannah had begun to grieve what she was losing: the child she loved. Her child was becoming a grown up woman.

Now, Jane would graduate. At least Hannah could console herself by the fact that she would have two weeks with Jane on vacation before she left for basic training. Tomorrow they would travel to Earth to spend their vacation with Hannah's parents. Hannah had told Jane she could go anywhere she wanted, but Jane had asked specifically asked to go back to Earth. She wanted to spend her last free moments where she and Hannah and Daniel had experienced such wonderful family times, to see Michigan once more before her life of duty began.

Hannah's mind was pulled back to the ceremony when Jane approached the podium to deliver her salutatorian address. Hannah knew the speech—she'd been Jane's editor. Still, she listened carefully to every word.

"My fellow students," Jane began, "the time has come to say goodbye. We say goodbye to our teachers. We say goodbye to our families. We say goodbye to each other. There may be tears and regret. We face the task of grieving while celebrating because although we are saying goodbye, we are also saying hello. We are saying hello to our futures. We live at a time of great opportunity. The future holds unlimited possibility. It is our generation that must greet the future with stout hearts and strong wills. We have a galaxy to encounter, many species to get to know. We can prove to the galaxy that humanity is a strong species, a good species, a species to trust and depend upon. _You_ can do this. Let us not dwell in goodbyes, but let us embrace all the hellos of the future. Let us walk towards the bright sun on the horizon that will dawn a new and glorious day for humanity through us. Let us determine to make the galaxy a better place because we are in it." Jane paused, then confidently spoke the final lines of her speech. "When we are old and have reached the end of our time, we will want to look back on our accomplishments with pride. We will want to say we made a difference in the galaxy, a difference that brought peace and conciliation. So let us go forth from this place, examples of what true humanity is capable of. Thank you."

As Jane went back to her seat, the auditorium filled with cheers and clapping, though Hannah noticed some people didn't join in the adulation. Terra Firma had its hold, even here. But it didn't matter. Hannah's eyes had moistened, proud of the daughter she and Daniel had raised. She'd never felt more honored to be the mother of Jane Shepard.


	16. Vacation

The campfire burned brightly under a dark sky dotted with shimmering stars. A good meal had been eaten, fresh fish caught directly from the lake and roasted over the fire, seasoned with a secret blend Daniel had created himself. Hannah had saved the blend over the years since he died, waiting to use it at the right moment. This _was_ the right moment, here at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Park, a place with memory thick in the air. Hannah smiled over at Jane, who had leaned back in her camping chair to contemplate the beautiful sky, a wooden stick dangling from her hand with a half eaten marshmallow on the end. They'd had their fill of marshmallows and now faced the sleepiness brought on by an active day.

Hannah ruminated over the last two weeks of vacation. Right after Jane's graduation, they'd hopped a ship to Earth and then arrived at her parents' house in Michigan. Little had changed at home except Hannah's parents, who were reaching their seventies at this point. Hannah and Jane utilized the first week and a half to traipse all over their favorite Michigan spots: Mackinac Island, Tahquamenon Falls, Fayette, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Now, with only two days remaining, they'd gone camping just like they always had with Daniel. They'd gotten up early this morning and made the drive to the park, then spent the afternoon hiking, taking in the beauty of the woods and wildlife. Now they had settled down for the night, enjoying the quiet of the forest punctuated by the chirping of crickets.

"You know, when I always look at the night sky on Earth," Jane commented, "I look for the constellations that point towards the locations of alien planets: Thessia, Palaven, Sur'Kesh, even Kar'shan."

Hannah leaned back in her own chair, gazing at the sky. She'd never actually thought of doing what Jane did, the consequence of living at a different time. When she'd first become interested in the stars, she hadn't known aliens existed. She'd hoped they did, but all she saw when she stared at the stars were the constellations alone. She remembered how she and Daniel used to compete against each other, seeing who could identify the most constellations. She usually won. Hannah chuckled at the memory.

"What are you laughing about?" Jane asked.

Hannah turned her head to Jane who was looking at her curiously. "A memory of your dad." Hannah sighed softly.

"It feels like he's here," Jane said, raising the stick she held to her mouth and finishing off the marshmallow.

Hannah nodded. Every hiking path, every lake excursion, every hill to climb had Daniel etched all over it. Through both memories from when Hannah was young and memories as a family, Daniel had made his mark on their favorite camping spot.

"He'd be so proud of you, Jane," Hannah breathed out. Jane said nothing, but Hannah recognized the depth of thought reflected in her eyes as she stared at the campfire. _You would be_, Hannah spoke inside to Daniel. _She's grown into a confident, well adjusted, upstanding young woman, just what you would want her to be_.

"You still certain about military life?" Hannah asked.

Jane smiled with half her mouth. "How many times are you going to ask me that?"

Hannah shook her head. "I don't know. I just really want to be sure you're sure."

"I'm as sure as I was when I told you two months ago. Mom, don't worry, okay? I know what I'm doing."

Hannah bobbed her head at Jane, then closed her eyes, listening to the crackle and occasional pop of the wood being licked by the tongues of the fire. Jane would be alright. She'd make it. She had to. Hannah thought life couldn't be so unkind as to leave her alone in the world, not after Daniel had been taken from her.

* * *

Hannah found herself waking up to the aroma of pancakes and syrup wafting into the tent. She sat up, yawning and stretching her arms above her head. Jane's sleeping bag was empty, indicating she was the source of the delicious smells. Hannah rose, threw on her green sundress along with a warm sweater, then exited the tent. Jane had pulled out the portable burner and was flipping pancakes.

"Yours is ready," Jane said, motioning to a plate piled three pancakes high. Hannah sat down at the wooden picnic table, reaching over to ladle out some freshly made hot syrup from a saucepan. Jane soon joined her with her own plate. They ate in comfortable silence, the coolness of the morning revitalizing their fatigued bodies.

After Hannah was full, she sighed loudly. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

Jane put down her fork, leaning forward on the table, resting her chin on the back of her linked fingers. She smiled wickedly. "Aqua racing."

Hannah grinned and tilted her head. "I wondered when you'd planned to take me on." Jane had insisted they bring the two Aqua Racers owned by her parents. For years Jane had tried to beat Hannah racing them, but she always managed to best her. "You should cede the win to me right now."

"No way," Jane said. "I _will_ claim victory this time."

"Good luck, kiddo," Hannah taunted, her tone implying the impossibility of Jane's success.

"Let's suit up, then," Jane pressed, standing up from the table.

"Alright," Hannah agreed. She and Jane went back into the tent, eyeing each other competitively as they changed into their swimsuits. When they were ready, they backed the speeder up to the lake, easing the trailer with the Aqua Racers into the lake. They unhooked the Racers. Jane commandeered the one outlined in blue, while Hannah climbed on the one painted in yellows. They piloted the Racers far out on the water, all the way to a white buoy floating in the middle of the lake.

"Where's the finish line?" Hannah asked Jane.

"The island," Jane suggested.

Hannah put her hand over her eyes, peering at the island. It was quite a distance from the buoy, but well known to her. They'd explored the little piece of land every time they went camping as a family. "Alright. Supplemental drive allowed?"

"Definitely," Jane said, her eyes twinkling.

Hannah smiled inwardly. She always won their races because she knew just when to engage the supplemental drive. You had to handle it just right, push the pedal skillfully enough to get the burst of speed you needed at just the right moment to send yourself careening ahead of your competitor.

"Alrighty then. You count."

Jane leaned low over her Racer, revving the engine. Hannah copied her movements, keeping Jane in her peripheral vision.

"One…two…three!" Jane peeled forward, skimming across the water. Hannah sped alongside her, the two neck and neck. Hannah always loved the way the wind whipped through her hair. The speed of the Racer sent her heart skyward as it pumped with adrenaline. Jane maintained her low position over her Racer, determination honing her focus on the island. It was coming up fast. Hannah began to judge when to engage the supplemental drive. Her foot hovered over the pedal, waiting for the right moment. When she thought it was time, she pushed down, but realized in astonishment that Jane had engaged hers a second earlier and had been propelled ahead of her. She put her foot down heavily, trying to force the Racer to muster all the speed it could, but she knew she'd already lost the race. Jane pulled up on the island a good five seconds before her.

Jane jumped off her Racer after she'd grounded it on the shore of the island and started to do a victory dance, pumping her fists in the air and shaking her hips. Hannah grounded her own Racer and slid off, staring at Jane with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Pure luck," Hannah called out over Jane's whooping.

Jane turned, her face elated with a wide grin. "Oh no, it wasn't! I watched _you_ this time. I watched your foot and the second you went for it, I went first. It was strategy, pure and simple."

Hannah shook her head, trying to blow off Jane's explanation, slightly annoyed her young daughter had finally bested her at Aqua racing. "I want a rematch."

Jane laughed haughtily. "I finally beat you. I'm _not_ letting you have a rematch for a long time."

Hannah pouted and stomped over to the shore, picking up a rock and giving it a good throw. It splashed far into the lake. Jane followed her, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Oh come on, it's not so bad. You should be glad I beat you. Maybe it's a sign for my prosperous future."

Hannah chuckled then, disarmed by Jane's good natured way. "Perhaps. But I would rather you have depended upon a fortune cookie and not on winning a race against your mother." Last Thursday they'd eaten at a favorite restaurant in town, Uncle Woo's, where Jane's fortune had declared, _A harmonious prosperity is about to come your way_.

Jane bent over, flipping over several rocks, looking for big, flat ones like her father had taught her. She found a few good ones, setting them to the side, then picked them up one by one, flinging them so they skipped over the water. When she sent the last one sailing, she stopped and put her hands behind her head, sighing, her good mood dissipating.

"Sometimes I still get so angry that he's gone."

Hannah didn't have to ask who she meant. Since they had arrived, Jane had gotten entirely reminiscent, especially over Daniel. She figured Jane's future departure had something to do with it. "I know how you feel."

"He should be here," Jane grumbled, pacing down the shore, Hannah falling into step next to her.

"But he isn't," Hannah answered. "It won't do you any good to be angry about it."

Jane slowed her pace a bit. "Are _you_ ever angry?"

Hannah snorted. "Of course. There are still days I can hardly hold it together, wanting him to be next to me, to encourage me, to tell me I can keep going."

"Mom," Jane stopped walking, "how can I stop getting angry? Whenever I think of him, I pretty much just get eaten up inside."

Jane had never admitted this to her. Hannah knew the first couple years had been hard for Jane, but she assumed Jane had slowly gotten over Daniel's death. She admonished herself. Did you ever "get over" someone's death? No, you just forced yourself to live as normally as possible and over time, forcing yourself just got easier. She realized now the self-control Jane must have to put herself through every time thoughts of Daniel welled up within her.

"Well," Hannah began, "you refuse to let anger control you and instead, channel your energy elsewhere, somewhere positive. Like when I was on Mindoir, I wanted to make your dad proud, I wanted to do what he would do. He was a selfless, caring man and I want to be like him to honor him. Doing that keeps the anger at bay and makes me feel close to him."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "I hope I get better at doing that."

"You're doing just fine," Hannah encouraged. "Your dad would love hearing your goals of protecting others, of promoting peace in the galaxy. Let his memory motivate you, not destroy you."

They walked the rest of the shore in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Hannah identified places on the island she and Daniel had chatted at through the years. She could almost feel him walking right beside her, almost believe she could reach out and take his hand like so many times before. _I still love you, Daniel_, she spoke to him inside.

"Ready to go back?" Jane asked when they reached the end of the small island.

Hannah nodded and they turned around, moving back towards the Racers.

"I want to go to the cemetery tomorrow," Jane announced quietly.

"I figured," Hannah answered, her voice also soft. They had visited Daniel's grave every time they came back to Sault Sainte Marie. Tomorrow was Jane's last day of vacation and Hannah knew she wouldn't want to leave until she talked to Daniel.

* * *

Hannah accompanied Jane into the cemetery. It was a beautiful place, built on a small green hill with flowering trees and cobbled walking paths. Daniel's grave was positioned not that far from a blossoming lilac tree with a stone bench underneath it.

"You want to be alone?" Hannah asked. Jane nodded, her face solemn. Hannah sat down on the bench and watched her daughter walk several more feet to Daniel's headstone. She observed the movements of her mouth and knew Jane was talking to her daddy. Her heart broke for herself and Jane. What she had said to Jane yesterday held true—she didn't usually get mad, having become skilled at channeling her feelings elsewhere. But for a moment, her anger flared up, rich and heavy. _Why did you have to leave us, Daniel? Why does Jane have to go through this? Why?_ She knew there was no answer to her questions. She couldn't perceive any grand plan in Daniel's death. But as her anger cooled, her pensive mind began to consider the possibility. _Was_ there a good reason he died? Had his death done something, taught something to Jane that she couldn't have learned any other way? For that matter, had it taught _her_ something? Maybe it had. Maybe she just hadn't figured out what she'd learned yet. She found herself hoping that somewhere down the road, she _would_ understand why Daniel had to leave.

After a time, Jane returned. "I'm going back to the speeder," she said quietly.

Hannah nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll join you in a minute." She watched Jane stroll down the hill, then walked over to Daniel's grave. She read the headstone: _Daniel John Shepard, 2130-2168, Beloved Husband and Father_. It was such an inadequate summary of the value of Daniel's life. It only hinted at who he had been to herself and Jane. She wished you could fill a headstone with a life story etched in tiny print for someone to read, to really know who was buried here.

"Daniel," she spoke quietly, "I hope you're proud of both of us. We've managed to move on without you. I know you wouldn't want me to stand here, mourning you all over again, so I won't. I'll just tell you that I hope we both honor you and make you proud. And I still promise, there will never be anyone for me but you."

Hannah knelt down and ran her hand over the top of the cool granite headstone. Maybe it was a silly gesture, but she felt it was the closest she could get to touching Daniel once again. She stood and made her way back to the speeder waiting down below.

* * *

Hannah waited with Jane at the landing pad. Jane had packed everything she would need, which wasn't much. She fit all the essentials into one bag, proclaiming she needed to begin the transition to military life. Soon she'd be stepping onto a shuttle that would ferry her to Virginia to begin her grand new adventure.

"I know you want to travel light," Hannah said to Jane, "but I'd like to give you one more thing to take with you."

Jane inspected the long bag Hannah passed to her, her eyes widening as she recognized what it was. "Your rifle?"

Hannah nodded, gladly handing over the marksman rifle she'd been awarded so many years ago at basic training. "I think I still hold the record in marksman shooting. But maybe this will bring you luck. If anyone beats my record, I'd like it to be you." Hannah winked at Jane.

Jane slung the rifle bag over her shoulder. "It'll be my good luck charm." She then reached out and threw her arms around Hannah. "I love you, mom."

Hannah patted her back and returned the hug. "Love you, too."

Jane released Hannah when a voice called out for all new recruits to board the shuttles. Hannah noticed only a slight wetness in Jane's eyes and worked to keep her own eyes clear. As Jane moved towards the shuttle, Hannah couldn't help but call out.

"Make us proud, kiddo!"

Jane turned, waved, then stood straight at attention and saluted. Hannah saluted back and Jane boarded the shuttle. Hannah stayed put until the shuttle took off, tracing its climb into the sky until her eyesight could discern it no longer.

* * *

When Hannah returned home to her parents' house, she retreated to her old bedroom, laying on the bed. She still had a couple weeks until she needed to be back on the Einstein. She liked her parents, but she wanted to be back on ship right now with work a distraction for her melancholy feelings.

As if responding to her silent wish, her data pad vibrated. She picked up and held it in the air as she tapped the screen to light up the device. She'd received a new message on her work e-mail. The subject line was intriguing: "Proof is in the Pudding." It was from Maddock and such a weird title from him piqued her interest. She tapped the subject line and the message popped up.

_Four years ago, when I asked you to be Staff Commander on the Einstein, I tempted you with a promotion. I didn't think I'd actually get you to come over to my ship, but circumstances pulled you my direction. So I'm glad to say your move was worth it. I need an XO; Renault retired. I received permission to choose his replacement. I want you to be the Executive Officer on board the Einstein. How's that for keeping my end of the deal? Oh, and let me know your answer ASAP. Captain Maddock._

Hannah beamed. First Officer onboard the Einsten? Of course! She tapped out a quick reply with immediate acceptance. She _would_ miss Jane, but being on her own seemed to have its advantages. Now her attention could turn back to her own career. Maybe she'd achieve some great destiny after all.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone who's following Hannah's story! This was a short transition chapter to move Hannah to the next phase of her life. Only a few more chapters until we find out what Hannah does throughout ME1.


	17. Elysium

Four years came and went, feeling as if they passed by in the blink of an eye. Hannah became consumed with her new duties as XO of the Einstein, finding herself buried in orders and crew members almost constantly. She fell into a comfortable routine punctuated with occasional exciting flare ups. There was the time the Einstein was called to rescue a team of adventurers who had gotten themselves trapped in a cave while exploring a new planet for colonization, then a search for a rogue group of scientists that escaped from an Alliance prison, and of course, the occasional military action when colonies found themselves under threat from various pirate gangs. At least the Einstein hadn't gone missing, like the MSV Hugo Gernsback. That ship had disappeared completely, leaving everyone to speculate and rumors flew like the wind suggesting what might have happened. Batarian slavers, perhaps? Maybe another attack by the terrorist organization Cerberus? Or something like the Bermuda Triangle in space?

Then there were the happenings on Earth last year that had shook humanity to its core. Space wasn't the only place where dangers lay. Both the president of the United North American States and the premier of the Chinese People's Federation had been assassinated. This caused an uproar in the Parliament and the shuffling of seats after the next election. Things had finally settled back down and Hannah was glad the Parliament had captured some sense of stability once again.

Personally, everything had gone supremely well for the Shepard family. Hannah hadn't seen Jane much in the last four years on account of her intensive training, though they'd managed to get together at least once a year when their leaves coincided. Jane had picked the right profession. She excelled as an Alliance marine. She'd beaten Hannah's marksman shooting record right off the bat, something that didn't bother Hannah at all. Hannah had spent the next few weeks after learning about Jane's success bragging to anyone who would listen. After basic training, Jane flew threw her officer candidacy, exiting a Second Lieutenant. She was immediately asked to consider the Interplanetary Combatives Training program. Her entry into the program had led to an interesting e-mail sent to Hannah. Hannah had finally discovered the complete name of the man she'd shared a drink with back on Arcturus Station the night she had "not spied" on Jane when this message appeared in her inbox:

_XO Shepard, this is David Anderson. You may remember me. We toasted to your actions on Mindoir when I was on Arcturus Station a few years back. I never forgot your name and when another Shepard showed up to in the ICT program, I wanted to see her for myself. I recognized your daughter right off. She's turning heads here. You'd be proud to see her in action._

_I'm on the board to approve candidates and sometimes we look into their personal backgrounds to understand who we're dealing with. I noticed in your daughter's file that her father died five years ago. We wanted to know if this has had any negative effect on her. We're not asking to disqualify her, just to understand her better. Captain David Anderson._

Hannah had ruminated a day before responding to his e-mail. Of course her father's death had a negative impact on her—but Jane had handled it well. She hadn't crumbled into depression or stopped living life. Hannah finally replied, stating that Jane was a well-adjusted young woman that had faced her father's death with courage and that his memory propelled her actions as she desired to make him proud. She hoped she'd talked Jane up enough. She never received a response from Captain Anderson, but Jane had passed N1 and then continued on all the way up to N6, so she figured the board must have liked what they saw and been okay with Jane's psychological profile.

Currently, Hannah was standing near Maddock on the bridge of the Einstein, peering over the shoulder of a bridge officer. It was that time of year again: officer reviews. Hannah's job was to fill out forms for each officer and then either commend them or reject them for promotions. She always tried to be fair and objective. Of course, there were always the one or two officers who felt slighted if she didn't put them in for promotions, but overall, she got the impression the officers trusted her judgment.

The officer she was observing had leaned forward, listening to the various chatter from colonies and ships that came through on an Alliance frequency. Often the first sign of trouble came through normal space babble and a good communications officer could give the captain a heads up of any trouble brewing. Hannah noticed the officer was tapping in locations on a map as she listened, now honing in on any communication from the Vetus System. Hannah wondered if Jane was in that system right now. The last message she'd had from Jane, she'd informed Hannah she would soon be on shore leave on Elysium, a planet inhabited about fifty-fifty by human and alien species. Jane was excited over the prospect of meeting alien species she hadn't yet. In the last few years she'd met Turians and Asari personally, though only briefly, in conjunction with her ICT program duties. Jane's shore leave on Elysium would be short, only a pause before the next phase of the ICT program. The Einstein was only one system over and Hannah wistfully thought how nice it would be to see Jane again, but her duties on the Einstein wouldn't send her to Elysium anytime soon.

Hannah took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her data pad, tapping in her observations of the communications officer, Ruth Hu. She was distracted when Lieutenant Hu abruptly fixed her with an intent gaze.

"Commander…there's a sudden increase in chatter coming from Elysium." Hu paused, listening, her head turned to the side. "Sounds like several distress calls."

Hannah felt her heart leap into her throat. She put her data pad down on Hu's desk and activated her omni-tool, tuning her comm into Hu's station. She was assaulted by a barrage of voices in her ear the moment she was connected.

"Repeat. Under attack on Elysium. Unknown enemy."

"Enemies on the ground in Illyria. Suspected terrorist action as several bombs have exploded in center of the capital."

"Outlying cities under attack from unknown forces. We need help ASAP!"

"Our city block blew up! My wife and I are trapped with our baby son. Please, send someone. Please help us!"

Hannah tried to listen to each voice in the jumble. Many seemed to come from Alliance personnel, identifiable as the calm messages dutifully reporting what was happening, but intermixed were civilians, like the last voice she'd heard. _What is happening on Elysium?_ Hannah wondered. _And please tell me Jane isn't there yet._

Pushing aside her personal concerns, Hannah called out to Maddock. "Captain, we have numerous distress calls coming in from Elysium. It's under attack." Right after she reported, she heard another call in her ear.

"…been under attack for at least two hours. Communication was down, apparently part of the enemy attack. We're dying down here! Anyone who can hear us, please respond!"

Maddock was now standing next to her and Hannah eyed him. He nodded, having heard the last communication. "Lieutenant," he addressed Hu, "connect me to the last incoming signal." Hu's hands punched several symbols at her station and she nodded to Maddock.

"This is Captain Maddock of the Sixth Fleet. We have received your SOS. We will proceed to Elysium ASAP."

"Get me the other captains of the fleet," Maddock ordered Hu.

"They're already hailing us, sir," Hu responded.

"Come with me," Maddock commanded Hannah. She followed behind him as they marched to the communications room. When they entered, several holograms were already on display, all captains from the rest of the fleet. A discussion then ensued, as they deliberated how to handle Elysium, which was apparently under some kind of large scale attack. Captain Vandenberg took charge of the fleet as all admirals were currently absent. His dreadnought would travel at the front of the fleet, followed by the cruisers and frigates, with the carriers bringing up the rear. The deliberation ended with the declaration that they'd head out in ten minutes time.

Hannah was thrown into a whirlwind of activity as she informed the Einstein crew of their mission and contacted the pilots and marines on board, commanding them to ready themselves for action. By the time she'd completed her tasks, the fleet was ready to move out, headed to the nearest mass relay that would transport them to the Vetus System.

* * *

The fleet headed straight for Elysium when it arrived in system. Hannah's hands were full with commands from Maddock as he tried to anticipate what they were heading into. The ships ahead of them in the fleet relayed back information as they received it. Soon the report came back that the ships seen orbiting around Elysium appeared to be composed of pirate ships and a large contingent of batarian ships. Hannah's heart pumped at the news. She'd been waiting for the batarian bubble to burst for five years and now it finally had. She knew this was going to be bad.

The ships surrounding Elysium numbered in the hundreds. Captain Vandenberg began ordering attack formations, causing frigates and cruisers to launch into immediate action. The Einstein held back with the other carriers as they scrambled their fighters, sending them howling out of their bays to join the fight.

Hannah felt oddly reminiscent about Mindoir as Maddock began to ask his officers to strategize a way to send in the marines. The distress calls made it quite clear the enemy wasn't only in space; people were being killed down below. After a while, Hannah's observations led her to point out a weak point in the enemy formations where they seemed to be guarding their backs and avoiding any direct confrontation. Maddock and the other carrier captains decided to exploit the weakness, launching several shuttles with marines on board. All of them but one made it through, headed down to take on the ground forces attacking the colony.

By the time they had deployed their marines, the battle had been engaged for at least an hour. Hu had kept sending out a distress call, asking for reinforcements and finally got an answer from the Second Fleet that it was on the way. The Alliance had the upper hand above ground. The pirate ships were no match for stringently trained Alliance personnel. Still, the number of ships the enemy had brought to the battle made it clear they had come prepared for the Alliance Navy to show up.

Hannah hadn't disconnected from Hu's station and as she stared at the map, waiting breathlessly to hear that the marines had touched down, a familiar voice sounded in her ear, causing immediate and intense panic to assault her thoughts.

"This is Lieutenant Jane Shepard. I'm with a group of twenty-five marines and we're pinned down in the seventeenth block of Illyria. We've got thousands of colonists in this city block with nowhere to go. We've got the high ground, but we need back up. Anyone who can hear us, contact us if at all possible!"

Hannah felt her heart thumping in her chest. Jane's voice was urgent, yet steady and calm, but all Hannah could hear was the fact that her daughter was down below, fighting for her life. She hadn't seen her in eight months. She couldn't lose her. Not now and not here, not when she was just within reach. She marched over to Maddock.

"Jane's down there," she informed him tersely.

Maddock turned hard eyes on her. "I heard."

"Request permission to lead the last team of marines down to the surface."

"Request denied."

Hannah's mouth fell open. "Sir, permission to speak freely."

"No."

Hannah stared at Maddock, anger welling up within her. Maddock took her arm firmly in his grasp and pulled her to the side. "I understand what's going on inside you, but this is not the time. I need you here. You're my XO and the Einstein needs your leadership now more than ever. The best you can do for Jane is stay above and kick pirate butt out of this system."

Hannah nodded, fury still raging in her heart, but her head acknowledging the truth of Maddock's words. Maddock let go of her and went back to his place on the bridge, Hannah following and trying to push her feelings away.

"Commander, this is Lieutenant Marshall checking in. We're on the ground. Enemies in sight and will engage presently."

Hannah put her hand to her ear. "Acknowledged. Delta company engaging enemy," she informed Maddock who nodded he'd heard.

Hannah trod over to Hu's station. "Can you connect with the last signal, the distress communication from Lieutenant Shepard?"

Hu looked up at her with compassion in her eyes. "I'll try, ma'am." Several minutes ticked by and Hu finally looked back at her helplessly. "Sorry. I can't raise that signal again."

Hannah nodded, then paced back to Maddock and the other officers, joining their strategizing, but only listening with half her mind; the other half was still connected to the chatter coming through on the comm. After another thirty minutes had passed, she caught Jane's voice again.

"Defenses have been breached in the capital. We're heading towards the enemy with a load of grenades and charges. With any luck, this will seal the gap. We still need any help that can come our way." There was a pause and Hannah wrung her hands, waiting to hear Jane again. Her voice came sudden and loud, the sound of gunfire and explosions evident in the call. "Under attack! Several men down. Heading towards the south, trying to…" The comm went silent.

Hannah put her hand to her heart, feeling her chest move up and down rapidly. _Don't take her from me! Please don't. I can't do this. Don't do this to me._

Maddock's hand was suddenly on her arm and when she looked up at him, his eyes had softened. "I need you here."

Hannah nodded. "Yes, sir." She turned her attention back to the map and began to converse with the other officers, trying to forget that her daughter might be dying down below.

* * *

A short fifteen minutes later, the enemy ships turned tail and fled when reinforcements showed up. Enemy ships tried to flee from the ground as well. Most were destroyed as they fought their way skyward, though a few of the larger ones slipped through. Casualty reports began to stream in. Both medical teams and search and rescue teams were dispatched to Elysium. Hannah began to account for the marines assigned to the Einstein, contacting the groups below to determine who had survived the battles. The entire time she kept wondering if her own daughter had survived, but every time the thought reared its ugly head she pushed it back, willing herself not to think about Jane.

Hours passed by as medical teams ferried the worst cases up for transport. The Einstein was about to depart for the nearest station with the necessary medical facilities. Hannah didn't want to leave without knowing Jane's fate, but she knew she would be forced to go along. This was what she had meant when she told Jane before she graduated that the Alliance owned you once you joined up. She had no choice but to obey.

However, before they left Elysium, another voice sounded over the comm. "Request permission to enter SSV Einstein's bay doors. We have wounded marines on board in need of immediate assistance." The voice was interrupted by another, insistent and determined.

"This is Lieutenant Shepard. Two of my men will be dead in a few minutes if we don't get on board now!"

Hannah's heart leapt. She was alive. Jane was alive. Hannah looked to Maddock who smiled and nodded. She put her hand to her ear, wanting to give the answer as fast as she could. "Permission granted. Bays are clear."

Hannah looked back to Maddock, who waved a hand towards the elevator, giving her permission to leave the bridge. Hannah rushed to the door and entered, tapping her foot all the way down, the elevator not moving fast enough for her.

By the time Hannah made it to the hangar bay, the shuttle with the wounded marines had landed. The two marines in critical condition were being cared for by medical personnel, ferried out of the bay on gurneys. Jane was helping her men out of the shuttle. Her hair was disheveled, parts of it pulled out of its pony tail in strands. Her uniform was absent; she wore relaxed shore leave duds. Hannah noticed a cut across her forehead and that she was favoring her left leg. Jane suddenly looked her direction, as if she sensed her mother nearby. Their eyes locked and a silent thank you passed between them as they realized each had survived the onslaught.

Hannah waited patiently until all Jane's men had been passed off to the doctors, then she approached her daughter as a nurse dabbed at her forehead and asked about her left leg.

"It's fine," Jane was insisting. "Just a sprain."

"I should still check it out," the nurse contended.

Hannah strolled up to Jane, keeping her emotions hidden. "Just let them check. I know Petra. She won't let up until you let her do what she wants."

Jane sighed grimly. "Okay."

The nurse gave her leg a once over, then nodded. "You're right. I'll wrap it up for you." When the nurse had finished, she left the bay. Hannah felt the acceleration of the Einstein as it left Elysium. She looked around. A few crew members still occupied the bay.

"Your quarters?" Jane suggested. Hannah nodded in agreement and left the bay with Jane. Jane strode with purpose and determination, stalwart even after what she'd just been through. However, when they reached Hannah's room and the door closed, she fell into Hannah's arms, enveloping her mother in a tight and long hug. Hannah returned it, holding her, glad that even as Jane matured, she still let herself be herself in front of her mother. When Jane released her, she was blinking her eyes to keep from crying.

"I'm glad to see they haven't crushed emotion out of you," Hannah commented, knowing how aggressive the ICT program was.

"Not that they haven't tried," Jane answered, wiping her eyes quickly. "I've gotten good at keeping my feelings in control, though, staying focused when I need to."

"That's good," Hannah said, motioning to her bed. Jane sat and Hannah sat down next to her.

"It was awful, mom," Jane said, pulling out her ponytail and running her hands through her hair. "Out of the twenty-five of us, only sixteen are left. Nine friends gone." Jane got up from the bed and punched her hand into the wall. "I failed them."

Hannah stood and put her hands on Jane's shoulders. "No, you didn't. You protected civilians and got everyone you could out of there. That is _not_ failure, Jane, and don't ever think it is."

Jane eyed her suspiciously. "How can you be okay with losing people?"

"I'm _never_ okay with it," Hannah maintained. "Never. But you do what you can and when you've done that, you have to make yourself be okay with it." Hannah had been given many opportunities to practice her words over the years. And yet, she still remonstrated herself for every "failure," every time she felt she'd messed up. But she wanted to spare Jane from the same burdens she carried.

"Take a shower," Hannah commanded.

"I'm okay."

"That's an order, Lieutenant."

Jane shook her head, but smiled at the fact that her mother had just pulled rank on her. "Alright…_Commander_," she said, emphasizing the last word sarcastically. She walked into Hannah's bathroom and soon Hannah heard the shower. She knew Jane needed to relax a little and wash off the strain of the fighting on Elysium.

Hannah sat down at her desk, skimming through the numerous reports on her computer screen. The Einstein had come off well. They'd only lost three of their marines. They'd taken on board about fifty wounded, both civilians and soldiers. In about forty minutes they'd be arriving at Armstrong Station which had a critical care facility. Hannah heard the shower stop and Jane rummaging around in the bathroom.

"You got any extra clothes?" Jane called behind the door.

Hannah moved over to her closet, choosing a pair of pants and a gray shirt for Jane to slip on. Walking to the bathroom, she opened the door slightly and put her arm inside for Jane to take the clothes. Jane took them and the door slid shut again. Hannah ambled over to a cold, metal chair and sat, waiting for Jane to exit the bathroom. Jane emerged in Hannah's clothes, only a tiny bit big on her, with a towel wrapped around her head. She sat down on the bed and gazed at Hannah.

"Feel better?" Hannah asked.

"Much." Jane took a deep breath. "At least physically." Jane put a hand to her head and closed her eyes.

"What's up?" Hannah inquired.

Jane lowered her hand. "Contemplating the strange mix of emotions I'm feeling."

"Like what?"

"Well," Jane said, speaking slowly. "It's…it's like my mind doesn't know what to make of what just happened on Elysium. I feel elated. I mean, we kicked ass down there and that felt good. But I also feel grief, like when dad died, knowing comrades fell next to me. And then there's just utter relief that I'm alive." Jane paused. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry or just be silent…I think I'll pick the last."

"Most do," Hannah informed her. She knew exactly what Jane was feeling and there was no emotion word for "just fought a successful battle but lost friends, but also saved a whole colony." "You get used to feeling that way and it gets easier to handle over the years."

Jane shook her head sadly. "I hope I get used to it soon. It's an uncomfortable way to feel."

"You made me proud, kiddo," Hannah said softly, staring at Jane with respect in her eyes.

Jane blushed a little. "Thanks, mom."

"We'll arrive at Armstrong in about thirty minutes. Get some rest. You'll need it."

"Alright." Jane pulled the towel off her head, picked up a brush on Hannah's bedside stand to work out the tangles, then fell back on the bed. She was asleep within five minutes.

Hannah knew she should move back to her desk, start responding to e-mails and issuing more orders, but she just sat still, watching Jane sleep. How fast time flies by, she thought as she contemplated her daughter. Wasn't it just yesterday Jane had been in an incubator and Hannah'd been hoping she'd survive? And now she was a woman in her twenties, strong, capable and downright amazing.

Hannah finally stood up and walked over to the bed. Leaning down, she kissed Jane on her forehead. "Rest well, honey," she whispered, then wandered back over to her desk.

* * *

Hannah woke Jane when they arrived at Armstrong Station. She accompanied her daughter to the med bays and then to the medical wards on station. There she'd had to say goodbye, as the Einstein had orders to meet back up with the fleet immediately after it delivered its cargo.

The fallout of the events on Elysium was swift and variable. ANN coined the term for the incident, the "Skyllian Blitz." Alliance operatives discovered that the batarian Hegemony had used its funds to support the Blitz. They also claimed an anonymous source had revealed the Blitz's leader, an infamous pirate named Elanos Haliat. He hadn't been found yet, but the Alliance wanted his head on a pike. There was also a whole lot of outrage pouring forth from Terra Firma, many of its politicians demanding a formal war against the batarian Hegemony. So far the Parliament hadn't declared war, but Hannah wondered if they wouldn't do something soon.

Jane had been hailed all throughout the Alliance for her actions on Elysium. As details emerged, Hannah realized Jane had been entirely modest with her. Not only had Jane managed to close the gap in the capital's defenses, but she had also placed the charges herself that pushed the pirates on the ground back, not wanting any of her own men to take on the job. Jane ended up being given the status N7 without any further training and receiving a medal, the Star of Terra, effectively declaring her a hero of humanity. Hannah burst with pride and she was pretty sure she annoyed her crew members to death, mentioning Jane every chance she got.

Personally, Hannah also found herself experiencing positive results from the Blitz. About a month after the battle, she received a message that sent her heart soaring.

_XO Shepard, this is Admiral Mikhail Novikov of the SSV Kilimanjaro. Your recent actions at Elysium have come to my attention. Captain Maddock has boasted of your strategy in getting our marines down to the planet during the conflict. I can also surmise it was no easy thing maintaining your sense of duty while Lieutenant Shepard was down below. I would like to offer you the Executive Officer posting on board my ship. I will expect your reply by 0900 tomorrow. Admiral Novikov._

Hannah blinked her eyes. The Kilimanjaro? A dreadnought? Her dreams of rising in the ranks had just become real before her eyes. Yet, part of her didn't know whether she should accept. She felt staunchly loyal to Maddock after all these years.

Hannah left the message up on her data pad and marched to the bridge. She was off duty, but she wanted to run this by Maddock before she accepted, not wanting him to think she was ungrateful for all he had done for her. She found him next to the helmsman, staring out at the blankness of space.

"Sir," she said, clearing her throat to get his attention.

Maddock turned to look at her, his eyes all business."Yes, Commander?"

"I just received a message from Admiral Novikov…" Maddock interrupted Hannah before she could continue.

"Go."

Hannah smiled knowingly. "You already know."

"I'm the one that recommended you for the position." Maddock wasn't smiling, but Hannah detected joy in his eyes nonetheless.

"Thank you, sir."

"You deserve it."

Hannah turned to leave, then paused, looking back. "Are you ever going to become an Admiral, sir?"

Maddock now grinned slightly. "Never. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I want to see Lourdes and Jules sometime, don't I?"

Hannah nodded. She understood his choice, but it wasn't hers. She hoped someday she _would_ be an Admiral down the road.


	18. Kilimanjaro

When Hannah first saw the Kilimanjaro, it took her breath away. After being on a carrier for so long, the dreadnought's size overwhelmed her. Admiral Novikov met her at the dock, sizing her up and ready to take her on a tour of his ship. She'd read up on the admiral right after she accepted his offer. He hailed from a long line of Novikovs, his family able to claim an almost unbroken line of Russian ancestors, a rarity at this point in humanity's history. Few people alive today could claim any kind of national purity. Novikov boasted czars in his family tree and was known for the tight ship he ran. Even so, everyone Hannah talked to informed her they would kill to work on his ship. Novikov sought to fill the Kilimanjaro with the best and the brightest.

When Hannah saw Novikov in person, she found herself slightly amused. She'd expected him to look the part, to be the larger than life person everyone made him out to be. However, he was surprisingly shorter than her by at least two to three inches. Still, he gave off the unmistakable impression he was a man on a mission, belying the fact that he was actually quite spry and a force to be reckoned with. His eyes were sharp as a hawk as he inspected Hannah, running his eyes over her, assessing her suitability for his ship. Hannah looked him over as well, not only amused by his height, but by the upside down impression of his face due to the fact that he was completely bald on top and yet sported a hefty brown beard on his chin.

"Commander Shepard," he said as he took her hand, his handshake firm, maybe even a bit too tight.

"Admiral Novikov," she returned, letting go of his hand and saluting.

"I've heard nothing but good things about you. Your record is sound. I expect you to bring the order and dedication we need on this ship."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll show you around."

Hannah followed Novikov all through the Kilimanjaro, marveling at its spacious interior and the obvious step up that was a dreadnought. The medical facility could have specialized in any disease, human or alien, the way it was stocked to the brim. The engineering section was ten times bigger than the Einstein's. The ship's main gun took her breath away, being able to fire the kinetic energy equivalent to 38 kilotons of dynamite. The amenities were also impressive. There was a substantial gym on board, a small pool for lane swimming and a combat room for the marines to practice in. Her own room was much larger than the one on the Einstein, including a lounge area as well as a sleeping area.

Finally they made it to the bridge, where Novikov introduced her to the bridge staff. She tried to remember each name as she heard it, wanting to appear capable right off. She was shocked when she realized there was one name she wouldn't have to work to remember.

"This is Lieutenant Cox. He's our technical specialist and quite talented. You need anything hacked, he's your man."

The Lieutenant stood in front of her, grinning from ear to ear and shaking his head. "Didn't think it was true when I heard the name of our new XO. Hey, Red."

"You know each other?" Novikov asked, his gaze alternating between his Lieutenant and his new XO.

"Indeed," Hannah said, breaking into a smile and shaking the hand of the man she'd been reintroduced to. "Lucas. Good to see you again."

"Ma'am," Lucas nodded, still smiling broadly. If she hadn't been tipped off by Lucas' surname, Hannah thought she might not have recognized him. He'd definitely aged; seemed heavier than she remembered, though not overweight. He'd also grown some ridiculous goatee that looked like a rat attacking his chin. But the goofy grin and the humor in his eyes left no mistake: he was definitely the Lucas Cox she'd gotten to know during basic training.

"We'll catch up later," Lucas said, waiting for Hannah to nod before turning back to his station.

Novikov introduced her to the rest of the bridge staff and the helmsman, then turned her loose. "Dinner's in an hour. Until then, I give you the freedom to explore my ship at your leisure, Commander. Your duties begin at 0400 tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," Hannah said, saluting.

Novikov returned the salute and Hannah walked to the elevator, taking it back down to her room. She spent the next twenty minutes putting away her bag of belongings, then lay down on her bed, smiling up at the ceiling. Executive Officer of a dreadnought. She'd get used to this easily.

* * *

When the time for dinner arrived, Hannah made her way to the officer's mess. Lucas was there and waved her over. She walked over and sat across from him, still marveling at how much time had changed him. He was forty-five now, same age as her. _Do I really look as old as he does?_ Hannah wondered.

Lucas reintroduced her to Lieutenants James, Spangler and Ramirez. They chatted as they ate, Hannah asking questions, eager to get to know her new crew members and earn their trust as soon as possible. After a while, all the lieutenants left, save Lucas. Lucas remained seated, staring and smiling at Hannah.

"What?" Hannah asked, feeling as if she was being scrutinized.

"It's just been a long time," Lucas said. "What, like thirty years?"

Hannah nodded slowly. "Something close to that."

"I've heard about your daughter. She's all over the news. You and Daniel did good."

Hannah now smiled broadly. "Thanks."

"Speaking of Daniel, how is he?"

Hannah's face fell. "I guess I assume everyone knows." She took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. She hated having to tell people this. "He passed away eight years ago now."

A look of surprise passed over Lucas' face. "Oh. I didn't know. Sorry."

"I've learned to live with it," Hannah said quietly.

Lucas twisted his drinking glass on the table, concentrating on its movements, awkward now that he'd found out Daniel was dead. "Last time I saw him was during the First Contact War."

It was Hannah's turn to look surprised. "He never told me."

"Well, we didn't exactly talk long. It was one of those quick 'hi and bye' moments." He paused, then fixed her with a solemn gaze. "How'd he die?"

"Docking accident," Hannah said shortly, not wanting to go into further details and unearth painful memories again.

Lucas nodded pensively. "He was a good man."

"Yes, he was," Hannah agreed. She decided to delve into Lucas' own past, wanting to change the subject. "So, enough about me and my troubles. What about you? Lieutenant? I thought you never wanted to be an officer."

Lucas smiled ironically. "Time changes things. That and children."

Hannah glanced downwards. She didn't see a ring on his finger. "You have children?"

"Not plural," Lucas said. "Just one. Child."

"Girl or boy?"

"Boy."

"Congrats."

Lucas picked up his glass and downed the contents. "It's not exactly that kind of situation."

"Oh. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with him, just me and his mother."

Hannah could tell Lucas was a bit reluctant to discuss the matter, but she pressed forward, curious. "So…you divorced?"

"Never married," Lucas said. "It was one of those quick flings. I met her on leave, we 'fell in love' as they say, had a whirlwind of a good time. I think it was her accent that got to me—Scottish brogue. Downright sexy at the time. So, I left and then the next time I saw her we're in an argument and breaking up. Then she writes me a few months later telling me she's pregnant and she's keeping it."

"Him," Hannah stated. She didn't like the way Lucas referred to his child as it.

Lucas looked over at her, his eyes only slightly offended by her clarification. "_Him_. Anyway, so then my wages got garnished for child support payments and I needed to do something. Turns out being a technical specialist is right up my alley, especially after we discovered these." Lucas held up his arm, pointing to his omni-tool. There was a pause in the conversation. Hannah finally spoke again, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Do you see your son often?"

Lucas shook his head. "Pretty much never, but he's got to be near your daughter's age by now." He stared into the distance, seemingly trying to calculate his son's age.

"What's his name?"

Lucas sighed forcefully. "I don't know. Kevin, Ken, Fergus, something like that."

"Fergus?"

"Well, okay, not Fergus. The point is I've only seen him twice or so."

Hannah couldn't believe how blasé Lucas was regarding his own child. "You don't want to be part of his life?"

Lucas snorted derisively. "His mother made it quite clear _she_ didn't want me to be part of his life."

"You don't want to fight for the chance to see him?" Hannah pressed.

"What's with the twenty questions?" Lucas came back at her, his voice tinged with anger. "He's better off without me, if you ask me." He turned his head to the side, finding the door to the mess entirely fascinating.

Hannah didn't respond, feeling chastised inside. It was clear Lucas _was_ hurt by the whole matter, though not willing to say so. What he'd experienced in the last thirty years, she didn't know, but he'd certainly not come out better on the other side. The way he talked, he certainly didn't like himself very much.

"Sorry I pushed you to tell me," Hannah apologized.

Lucas shook his head, looking at her again. "_I'm_ sorry. You just wanted to catch up with me. In a nutshell, my life hasn't gone anywhere good."

Hannah didn't know what to say to that. She didn't know Lucas well enough now to give him any kind of encouraging advice on where to go from here, so she just kept silent. She stood up from the table.

"I'd like to get some good rest tonight, to be ready for my first day on duty tomorrow."

"Sure." Lucas stood up as well. "Walk you to your quarters?"

"Alright."

As they walked, Hannah and Lucas avoided discussing anything important, their conversation staying in the realm of small talk. They said good night at her door and Hannah entered the spacious room that would be her home for next several years to come.

* * *

_Two Years Later_

Hannah focused on her computer screen on the bridge of the Kilimanjaro, contemplating the route traced on the galaxy map. The ship was following the route, but not directly, keeping several kilometers distant, not wanting to attract attention. Their orders were to trace it to its end and take out a pirate base along the vector. They'd be upon the base in thirty minutes and hopefully take control as peacefully as possible.

"Thirty minutes to arrival, Admiral," she spoke aloud.

"Acknowledged, Commander," Novikov responded, his hand combing through his beard thoughtfully. Over the last two years, Hannah had come to anticipate Novikov's gesture whenever something big was about to happen, though she didn't know whether his habit of running his hand through his beard indicated nervousness or excitement as Novikov kept his emotions deeply hidden at all times. One could never tell anything much by his face.

Hannah caught Lucas looking at her from his station. He tilted his head to the side and crossed his eyes. Hannah pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Lucas was always trying to bait her, get her to lose it in front of the Admiral. He hadn't won that game yet.

Based on her observation of Lucas over her time on the Kilimanjaro, Hannah had concluded Lucas hadn't really grown up yet. He may have been older, but she didn't think she'd describe him as entirely mature. He seemed to relish avoiding any action that might prove he'd aged appropriately. She couldn't help but wonder if his display of youthfulness wasn't just posturing, a way to push aside a past he didn't like by pretending it didn't exist. Since the first night they'd arrived, Hannah hadn't been willing to go back down the road of Lucas' past. She let it lie and he hadn't brought it up again.

Despite Lucas' pretense of immaturity, Hannah had been more than willing to rejoin their friendship from years ago, provided any personal chats remained off the bridge. Lucas tried to call her "Red" once on the bridge in front of the other officers and had received a sharp reprimand from her in return. So he quit calling her that when on duty, using the nickname only in personal conversation and she found she didn't mind then. She'd been glad to have one friend on board the Kilimanjaro right off. Lucas was an extrovert and ended up breaking the ice for her with most of the crew members as she discovered he'd sung her praises to most of them.

Hannah turned back to the map, pushing thoughts of Lucas and his antics out of her mind so she could concentrate. With this latest mission, the Alliance was hoping to end the threat from the batarians forever. Earlier this year they had retaliated for the Skyllian Blitz by launching an attack on Torfan, taking out its criminal bases, especially the batarian ones. The Kilimanjaro hadn't been involved, so Hannah had been absent that mission, but Jane had been there. She hadn't said much about it to Hannah, but, of course, the news came through the grapevine that Jane had excelled, protecting troops and exploiting enemy weaknesses and in general, saving the day again.

Over the last six months the Alliance had tracked the FTL vectors of pirate vessels using secret monitoring devices on the moons of Theshaca. Pirates were known to use Theshaca as a drive discharge point. As a result, eight major pirate anchorages had been exposed as well as the routes to four bases. The Kilimanjaro had been sent along with a small fleet of frigates, cruisers and carriers to raid one of the bases; at the same time, three other fleets were to attack the other three bases. The action had been timed down to the second to avoid any kind of warning passed from one pirate base to another.

Time ticked by, Hannah calling out time checks at fifteen minutes, then ten, then five and then counting down to one. The planet Inti had been detected ten minutes ago, but the Kilimanjaro moved towards it in such a way as to hide its approach behind Inti's sun. The ship rapidly closed the distance in the last two minutes, barreling towards the planet concealing the pirate base. They entered into orbit around the planet, shuttles and fighters leaving their hangar bays immediately, the shuttles making for the ground with marines on board and the fighters patrolling space, ready to catch any pirate ships that might try to make a break for it.

For Hannah, the action was minimal. Reports filed in as the marines took down the base. They must have had it under their control within fifteen minutes, only small groups of pirates continuing to fight back. Most surrendered and were arrested.

When the base was secured, data began to be uploaded to the Kilimanjaro, Lucas now going to work digging through it and breaking encryptions to discover any useful information on pirate activities throughout the galaxy. The only bit of information that came to the forefront immediately was a pirate raid planned for three days hence on merchant ships orbiting Joppa. Novikov ordered Hannah to make contact with the Alliance and let them in on the details of the coming raid that still might take place.

Hannah was supposed to remain on the bridge until 0200, but Novikov ordered the rest of her shift to be spent with Lucas, examining the data they'd recovered. Hannah met Lucas in the war room, where they sat side by side as he scrolled through the data, pointing out the various important bits he'd uncovered.

"This is a list of financiers," Lucas said, his finger touching the screen.

Hannah skimmed through the list. Batarian Hegemony, no surprise there. A few unscrupulous businesses—the Alliance would probably funnel the names of those businesses to ANN, putting pressure on them to cease and desist. Lots of support from gangs on Omega, also not surprising.

"What's this?" Hannah queried, pointing out a bunch of gibberish in the list.

Lucas sighed and eyed Hannah. "A bit of specialized encryption I haven't been able to break yet. My guess? Politicians."

"You think members of the Parliament are supporting these thugs?" Hannah asked doubtfully.

"Why not? They have goals to achieve and some of those can be achieved by causing as much trouble from the Terminus Systems as possible."

"Terra Firma," Hannah muttered.

"Them and others. I think they want a war. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd covertly provide humanity with the incentive to declare it."

Hannah scanned the jumble of unbroken code. She knew Terra Firma wanted humanity out of the wider galaxy, but supporting pirates against humans? She just didn't think they'd go _that_ far.

"Well, let me know if you crack it and then what you find."

"Will do." Lucas tapped on other lines of data, revealing resource lists, financial holdings and maps of flight paths. Lastly, a list of clientele appeared, disclosing those who had hired the pirates for their own reasons. As the list scrolled by, Hannah suddenly called out.

"Wait! Go back."

Lucas drew his finger over the screen, moving the list back up again. "What? See a name that means something?"

She did see a name that meant something, but she didn't understand why. One name leapt out at her as if it had been bolded: Keta La'ali. She hadn't seen Keta since the first time she set foot on the Citadel, but she still held a high opinion of the batarian. Why was her name here? She had used the pirates? For what? She knew Keta's career wasn't exactly kosher, but it still bothered her to see her name on the list. Hannah followed the line with Keta's name across the screen with her finger, looking for a date. Keta had hired the pirates three years ago.

"Who is it?" Lucas asked, eyebrows drawn together.

"A..." Hannah paused. She had been about to say "friend," but was Keta really a friend? They had only met once and yes, Keta had helped her, but they weren't buddies. "An acquaintance," Hannah said instead.

"Anything to report?" Lucas asked.

Hannah considered. She didn't know much about Keta, just that she was a gun for hire. She didn't even know if Keta still lived on the Citadel between jobs. Hannah shook her head. "Not someone I know well enough to report anything. I only met her once. Just a chance meeting."

Lucas nodded. "Alright." He continued to scroll through the list of clientele. Several times the title "Shadow Broker" showed up.

"Who's this Shadow Broker?" Hannah questioned.

Lucas grinned. "What I wouldn't give to be able to take down the encryption of the Shadow Broker. He or they, no one knows which, trade in information, but they keep it lucrative by holding back enough info to make their services needed continually. Shady characters and secretive as mice."

"Why would they need pirates?" Hannah wondered aloud.

Lucas shrugged. "Retaliating against people who failed to pay their debts?"

Hannah nodded. "I guess that would make sense."

They spent another hour rummaging through the information, Hannah directing Lucas what to put in his report for the Alliance. When they finished, it was early morning, almost 0230.

"Well, good night," Hannah said, standing up and stretching.

"What about a drink first?" Lucas suggested, his hands in his pockets.

"This late?"

"I'm buying."

Hannah laughed. There _was_ no buying on an Alliance starship. "Well, alright," Hannah assented. A drink to end a long day wouldn't hurt.

* * *

The officers' mess was empty when Hannah and Lucas entered the room. Lucas walked behind the counter and reached underneath it, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of wine. He sauntered over to a table and sat down, Hannah taking a seat across from him. Lucas uncorked the bottle.

"Granger likes to keep the good stuff to himself, but I've done him enough favors. I don't think he'll mind." He poured Hannah a glass and pushed it over to her, then filled his own. Hannah sipped the wine. It was good, flavorful, tinted with a slight raspberry taste.

"Where's this from?" Hannah asked, holding up her glass.

Lucas grinned. "It's not human. Asari. Good, isn't it?"

"Um hum," Hannah intoned, taking a long sip.

"Heard from Jane lately?" Lucas inquired.

Hannah shook her head. "She's gotten too busy. I only hear from her once in a blue moon. She's doing well, though. Every time she sends a message she tells me she's getting recognized for something."

Lucas nodded, looking down at his glass. His eyes had turned serious all of a sudden.

"What are you thinking?" Hannah asked, probing Lucas' thoughts.

Lucas blew out a slow breath, not looking up. "You're so proud of her. Kind of makes me wonder what my son's done with his life."

Hannah hadn't heard Lucas mention his son in two years. She figured the late night and the wine was getting to him. "Write him. Better yet, call him."

Lucas grunted, eyes still fixed on his glass. "I wouldn't even know how to contact him."

"Your child support went somewhere. Write his mother."

Lucas sucked in a long breath. "I'm not going to open old wounds." He picked up his glass and took a long swig, emptying it. He picked up the bottle and poured himself some more.

Hannah didn't want to press the issue. Some day Lucas would have to pull up his big boy pants and face his son himself. She just hoped he'd do it before he didn't have the chance anymore.

Hannah finished her glass of wine. "Thanks for the drink. I think it's time for bed." She made to stand up, but Lucas' insistent voice rooted her to her seat.

"Hannah, stay."

Hannah cocked her head at him. He spoke so softly, carefully. She gathered there was something else on his mind besides his son.

"Lucas, what's going on? Be straight with me."

Lucas took another sip from his second glass of wine, then rubbed a hand over his goatee. "We're getting old, Red, and I've been thinking." He paused too long for comfort.

"And…" Hannah prompted.

"Well, when you get older, it just gets harder to find people you really trust. People you're willing to risk something on."

Hannah leaned back, staring at Lucas warily. Was he going where she sensed he was going?

"And now that we've been thrust together again, I was thinking…you just might give me a chance."

Uh oh. He _was_ going where she thought he was going. How had she not figured this out in the last two years?

"Uh…Lucas…I'm not sure…"

Lucas interrupted her. "Do you know why I got involved with Maira?" Hannah guessed that must have been Lucas' son's mother. "I was on the rebound because someone married Daniel Shepard."

Hannah stared, flabbergasted. "Please tell me you're joking right now," she pleaded.

Lucas avoided her eyes. "Maybe a little…but only a little."

Hannah's chest moved in and out rapidly. She was trying to figure out how to let him down lightly so she didn't destroy him.

"You never said anything," Hannah commented, biding for time.

Lucas now chuckled and looked across at her. "You were my superior. What was I going to do? Walk up to you and say, 'Hey, Lieutenant, I'll follow your orders, oh, and by the way, I've got a huge crush on you.' Yeah, that would have gone over well."

The thought of Lucas saying that to her all those years ago caused Hannah to laugh. No, it wouldn't have gone over well at all and he would just have gotten his heart crushed more aggressively then. He was still going to be crushed now, but she'd handle it in a nicer way than she would have done when she was younger.

Hannah spoke slowly. "Why do you think I still wear this ring, Lucas?" she asked, holding up her left hand and pointing at the golden band on her finger.

Lucas twisted his lips, Hannah perceiving he knew the answer. "Still tied to him?"

Hannah nodded. "I made a promise there would never be anyone but him for me."

Lucas sighed sadly. "I should have guessed that. You guys were so in love. Everyone knew it." Lucas finished his second glass, then plunked it on the table, smiling gently and staring across at her. "If you hadn't made that promise, would anything be different?"

Hannah paused, not wanting to hurt the man in front of her who had obviously seen rough days, but needing to give an honest answer. She shook her head without saying anything.

Lucas put up both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, I got it. I'm being rejected. It's cool."

"I don't mean to hurt you," Hannah muttered, feeling sorry for him.

"It's okay. I'm used to it."

"No hard feelings?"

Lucas smiled. "Nope. We'll keep 'being friends.'"

"Good," Hannah said, standing and moving towards the door. Lucas spoke up once again, causing her to pause before exiting.

"But that's a rash promise to make. What if someone comes along who you have to break it for?"

Hannah shook her head. "Won't happen."

"You never know. Night, Red."

Hannah left the officer's mess. She'd told Daniel once that she'd liked plenty of guys, but they'd never liked her back. She'd never considered the fact that a guy may have liked her, but she didn't like him back. She wished she hadn't had to hurt Lucas, but she had no feelings whatsoever for him. And he was dead wrong, she knew. There would never be anyone to rival Daniel in her affections.


	19. Past

_Mom, thought I'd let you know I'll be out of contact for a while. I can't let you in on the details of where I'm going and why, but there's a good reason for my silence. It'll make you even more proud, trust me. Jane._

Hannah smiled at the message. It was just like Jane to be out of contact again. In the last five years, she'd heard from Jane infrequently. Her daughter had managed to propel herself nonstop into the heights of the military. She'd become XO of a new ship prototype, selected by David Anderson himself. Hannah gathered Jane had come to know Captain Anderson fairly well. Exactly how, she wasn't sure. Most of Jane's missions seemed covert these days.

Hannah spent her own time carrying out Novikov's orders, supervising crew members and keeping the Kilimanjaro running in perfect working order. She'd gotten quite comfortable with the dreadnought, though she still hoped her efforts would be noticed one day and a ship of her own would be conferred upon her. She had to admit that she was a little jealous of Jane—the girl had shown her up in every way, from marksman shooting to ground tactics to becoming an XO at the young age of twenty-nine. But when envy reared its head, Hannah reminded herself that she _was_ so very proud of her daughter, that Jane was a testament to the character and skills she and Daniel had instilled in her from a young age. If Jane found success, she stood on the shoulders of her parents while achieving it.

Several weeks later, Hannah received another message from Jane, this one short and cryptic: _Mom, I don't want to brag (and I'm also incredibly busy), so just watch ANN. Jane_.

Hannah immediately turned on the small television in her quarters and only had to wait through three minutes of other news to hear that humanity's first human Spectre had been officially revealed: Jane Shepard. Hannah sucked in a breath, then whistled slowly. No wonder Jane had been ordered to keep her actions under wraps. Spectres were appointed only by the Citadel Council. That had to mean Jane was on Council business these days. Hannah had no idea Jane had risen _this_ high. How she'd managed to get the Council to like her enough to nominate her was anyone's guess.

Hannah marveled, thinking of Jane as the first human Spectre. She could hardly get her mind around the fact. She listened intently to ANN reporting on the varied responses to Jane's appointment. Some were elated, others angry. Humans and aliens came down on both sides. It was strange listening to people speculate about her daughter, voicing their opinions as if they knew her intimately. She found herself quite incensed by most of the comments. They didn't know Jane at all and they presumed to put words in her mouth and thoughts in her mind. Hannah finally shut off the television, her anger getting too rich for comfort.

A chime sounded in her room. Hannah walked to the door and pushed the wall panel. The door slid open to reveal Lucas standing there, smiling broadly.

"Jane's the first human Spectre, huh? How long have you known about this?"

Hannah laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You presume my daughter keeps me in the loop. It was a secret to me until I just watched it on ANN."

"Well, I give her props for being able to keep it to herself. I'd be telling everyone who'd listen if it was me."

Hannah laughed again. "Yes, you would. Thus why you aren't a Spectre."

"So you proud, mom?" Lucas' eyes danced teasingly.

"Of course," Hannah said.

"But…" Lucas sensed Hannah's hesitancy.

"It looks like she just made a whole slew of enemies." Hannah's eyebrows drew together, expressing her anxiety.

"If she's become a Spectre, I don't think you have to worry over her. I bet she can blow the head off an enemy before they ever see her coming."

"Maybe," Hannah assented.

Lucas shook his head. "Always the worried mother hen. Let it go, Red. She's going to be fine."

Hannah nodded. "So, you got that new encryption code finished yet? It's going to 'get you noticed by the Alliance brass' if I recall."

"Still working on it," Lucas said, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth. "And it _will_ make me rise in the ranks."

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant." Hannah smiled at her cocky friend, standing with his chest puffed out like he was king of the universe.

* * *

Three weeks later, Hannah was on duty when a call came in for her. She fiddled with her omni-tool, connecting her comm to the frequency of the call.

"Shepard spea…Oh, hi." Hannah had paused momentarily in her greeting when her computer screen popped up the identification of the person on the other end of the call: Commander Shepard of the Normandy. Hannah was surprised. She hadn't expected to hear from Jane in a long while. She was glad, but concerned over the reason her daughter had taken a break from her Spectre operations to make a call to her good, old mother.

Hannah glanced around the bridge. She really wasn't supposed to take personal calls up here. She paced over to a quiet corner while she responded. "I don't have time for a personal call right now. I'm on duty." She hoped Jane heard the apology in her tone. She would have loved spending some time just chatting, but it wasn't possible at the moment.

Jane's voice sounded in her ear, sympathizing with her mother's unspoken feelings. "I know what that's like. Do you remember Lieutenant Zabaleta from the Einstein?"

Hannah's heart jumped. Ernesto had disappeared after his dismissal from the service and she'd worried over him for years, wondering where he was and if he was even still alive. "Ernesto? Have you heard from him? He was one of the marines who guarded the CIC. We shared a watch. I lost track of him after…there was an incident."

"I've seen him here on the Citadel," Jane explained. "Looks like he's had some hard times."

Hannah nodded her head while she answered Jane. "I don't doubt it." She recalled her last talk with Ernesto when she'd tried to get him to open up, to share his experiences and throw off the pain he'd burdened himself with. "You remember the batarian raid on Mindoir, in 2170? You were in high school. The Einstein's task group responded to the mayday. The batarians were still pulling out when the marines hit groundside." Hannah took a breath. "Zabaleta was one of the first down. He…he was never quite the same after."

"What happened down there?" Jane asked.

Hannah thought back to the slaver attack on Mindoir. She'd never told Jane exactly what happened there, not wanting to go into the gory details with her teenaged daughter. Even the memory of what had happened caused her to feel sad and angry all over again. "About every abomination that a sentient being can do to another." Hannah knew Jane was certainly old enough to handle the details now. "To a slaver," she mused, "a person is just another animal. And humans aren't always liked out here." A quick memory of Balak passed through Hannah's mind. "We heard about corralling. Culling. They'd shoot those they couldn't use. Implant control devices in the skulls of those they could. Without anesthetic."

Jane anticipated where Hannah was going. "He has post-traumatic stress because of what he saw?" Hannah heard compassion in her daughter's voice.

"He tried to keep working, but it rode him. He showed up drunk on duty more and more. We couldn't always cover for him. The Alliance discharged him. Everyone knew he drank because of what he'd seen down there. Even if he never talked about it." Hannah again remembered her conversation with Ernesto and his declaration that he _wasn't_ going to talk to her about what he'd seen on Mindoir. "Especially because he never talked about it."

Jane's voice came back soft and understanding. "For it to have affected him that deeply, he must have been a very sensitive man."

Hannah smiled. Ernesto had been a man of great laughter and deep emotion. A good man with a good future until Mindoir destroyed it. "He was. Always in laughter and tears." Hannah paused. How could she help Ernesto now? It pained her to discover that after all these years he was still consumed by Mindoir. Then she recalled there was a Veteran's Affairs Office on the Citadel. They could help him. She even knew that some of her old comrades from the Einstein were stationed on the Citadel. They'd understand him and extend to him the empathy he needed. "If you see him, tell him we still worry about him. Tell him to go to the Veteran's Affairs Office."

Hannah looked up, hearing the elevator swoosh open. Admiral Novikov was stepping off, his hands behind his back, running a critical eye over the bridge.

"I have to go," Hannah informed Jane reluctantly. "But take care of yourself. You're making us proud. Kilimanjaro out."

Hannah marched over to Novikov, giving him a report on the goings on of the last hour. He nodded to her and proceeded to speak to the helmsman. Hannah found herself lost in memory after her conversation with Jane. Poor Ernesto. She hoped he'd find some kind of solace for his broken mind.

* * *

Less than a day later, Hannah received another message from Jane.

_Mom, I tracked down Lieutenant Zabaleta again. I did what you asked, told him to go to the VAO. He wasn't really happy about it. Called you naïve. But he went anyway. I think he trusts you. He mentioned that if you come to the Citadel, he'd like you to look him up. Jane._

Hannah had only been back to the Citadel once since her encounter with Balak all those years ago and then she'd mainly stayed onboard ship, having no real reason to disembark. She'd gone to lunch with a group of officers, purchased a few amenities from the shops and then returned to her room on the Kilimanjaro. She didn't know if she'd be back there anytime soon.

As if on cue, her comm beeped in her ear and she answered quickly. "Yes?"

"This is Novikov," she heard the Admiral's voice announce. "We've just received new orders. We're to escort a ship of Parliament big wigs to the Citadel in five days time. I want this crew prepared, not only for eventualities, but ready to handle their shore leave with honor. Put the fear of God in them, Commander."

"Yes, sir," Hannah replied.

"Novikov out."

Hannah raised her eyebrows in surprise. She guessed she'd get to visit Ernesto after all.

* * *

Even more surprising than her sudden ability to see Ernesto was an anonymous message that showed up in her e-mail in-box later that evening. The subject line read "Got What He Deserved." Hannah narrowed her eyes as she read through the message, trying to puzzle out its meaning.

_I know you'll be on the Citadel in a few days. I need to meet with you in private. Don't look for me; I'll find you. It's vital you meet with me. At least one life is at stake if you don't, maybe more. Also, don't tell anyone about this message. If you do, I can't promise someone won't be dead within minutes._

Hannah stared at the message, flummoxed. Who in the world had contacted her? And what did it mean that someone would die if she didn't meet up with the anonymous sender? Hannah debated inside. Should she inform the Admiral? But the message made it clear someone's life would be in danger if she did. Or maybe this was just some stupid hoax e-mail sent out to make her look like a fool? Eventually, after much turmoil of thought, Hannah thumbed on her omni-tool, connecting her comm to Lucas.

"Lieutenant Cox?"

"Yes?" she heard Lucas answer in her ear.

"It's Commander Shepard."

"Yeah, I recognized your voice." It sounded like Lucas was laughing at her, though not too loudly for anyone to hear.

"All right, Lucas, cut it out." The laughter died away.

"What can I do for you, ma'am?" he next asked, his voice respectful.

"Have you heard we're going to the Citadel?"

"Really? Great! I can hang with the Asari dancers again!"

Hannah sighed. Lucas and his girls. She'd seen enough of his crowing like a rooster among the hens to last a lifetime. "When we get there and we get shore leave, I'd like you to come onto the station with me."

There was a pause. "Like..this is a date?"

Hannah blew out a breath in frustration. "No, it's definitely not. But will you come with me anyway?"

"Can I see some dancing girls?"

"Alright, fine," Hannah huffed out.

"Then I'll go with you."

"Good. Shepard out." Hannah ended the call abruptly, already uncomfortable having asked Lucas to go with her somewhere. She didn't want him getting any wrong impressions. But she wanted someone to be with her on the station. The message hadn't said to come alone. If the e-mail was for real, and someone did track her down on the Citadel, she wanted Lucas there to have her back if that someone turned out to be dangerous.

* * *

The Kilimanjaro settled outside the Citadel, coming to a stop several kilometers away. Hannah had assigned an officer to coordinate shore leave, determining when each crew member would be allowed to leave the ship and how many shuttles went over at a time. Hannah made sure she and Lucas were in the first bunch. She met Lucas at the hangar and they boarded a shuttle, Lucas already chatting away how he was going to Flux the moment they landed. Hannah reeled him in, reminding him that his duty to her came first. He agreed, albeit reluctantly.

As the shuttle coasted into the Citadel, Hannah thought of Jane. If the Kilimanjaro had arrived a few days earlier, she would have been able to connect with her daughter, take her out for a meal on the town in celebration of her Spectre status. But she knew Jane had already left the Citadel, having received another short message from her yesterday, still secretive, but letting Hannah know she was alright. Despite Jane's insistence that she couldn't say much concerning what she was up to, Hannah could read between the lines, sensing Jane's missions lately must be taking her into more dangerous and deeper waters. Hannah figured it was a good thing she didn't know exactly what Jane was up to. If she did know, her job on board ship would most likely suffer as she worried too much over her daughter.

"Great to get off ship. Wish we did it more often."

Hannah looked to Lucas, who was smiling in excitement. "If we did it more often, you'd have more children."

Lucas laughed at Hannah's dry comment. "Maybe. I'm more careful nowadays."

Hannah shook her head. Lucas lived large. He was like a frat boy trapped in a man's body. Still, he was loyal to her, one of the reasons she willingly kept him around.

"Just cool it until I've done what I need to," Hannah warned her friend.

"Yeah, about that. You haven't explained anything to me yet. What's up?"

"I can't exactly tell you. You'll just have to trust me."

Lucas' eyebrows raised. "Red, this isn't like you, to keep so quiet. Is something wrong?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Hannah said, "but I'll explain everything as soon as I can. Trust me, Lucas."

"Alright," Lucas assented, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his seat. "Whatever you say."

The shuttle slowed down, then pulled into a hangar bay, allowing the Kilimanjaro's crew to disembark. Hannah directed Lucas to the elevator which they entered and she pushed the panel, sending it skyward up towards a level off the Presidium. When they exited the elevator, she turned to the right, heading towards the Alliance Veterans Affairs Office. She walked up to a desk with an official looking woman sitting behind it.

"May I help you?" the woman asked politely.

"Yes, I'm looking for Lieutenant Ernesto Zabaleta."

"Oh, him," the woman said, her voice sad. "He's gone through a lot. Struggles quite a bit with depression. I think he's under a doctor's care. Let's see." The woman fiddled with her computer for a few seconds. "Ah yes. We got him a small apartment in the wards. Number 2065 G."

"Thank you," Hannah said, then turned to find a taxi. Lucas fell into step next to her.

"Who's this Zabaleta?" Lucas asked.

"An old friend," Hannah answered.

"So…I'm coming along _why_? You want me to be your bodyguard if he gets fresh or something?"

Hannah chuckled. "I'm fifty-two, Lucas. I don't think men are going to 'get fresh' with me anymore."

"Speak for yourself," Lucas returned. "Girls come on to me all the time."

Hannah rolled her eyes at his bragging. "Well, Zabaleta won't. He's not why I asked you to come with me."

"This just gets more confusing by the minute," Lucas complained under his breath.

"Hang in there," Hannah encouraged. She hailed a taxi and they climbed in, Hannah giving the apartment number to the driver. In a few minutes they were ferried to the right level of the Citadel. Hannah walked into a conglomeration of apartments. The area looked nice, comfortable middle class. There were a lot of humans milling about. Apparently, in the last twenty years, humanity had made its presence a permanent fixture on the Citadel.

Hannah finally found 2065 G. She pushed the panel on the door. "Hope he's here," she muttered. She looked at Lucas. "You can come in with me, or, if you want, wait outside. It's up to you."

"I _did_ see a hot chick back there," Lucas said, glancing down the hall at the lounge area.

Hannah sighed. "Go. But be watching for me."

"Gotcha." Lucas wandered back down the hall.

Hannah heard the door swish open. She turned to see Ernesto standing in the doorway, his eyes wide. "Commander. I didn't really think your daughter'd send you here."

Hannah smiled gently. "Hello, Lieutenant. I wanted to see how you were doing these days."

Ernesto actually smiled. "Better. Come on in."

Hannah walked into the apartment. It was small, only one room, but nicely furnished. She sat down on a couch and Ernesto sat beside her, leaning back against one of the couch's armrests. He looked run down. The lower part of his face was gray with the growth of stubble, cuts obvious in several places, as if he had trouble shaving. His eyes were heavy, dark circles under them. He was also much older, of course, but Hannah thought he appeared even older than he should. _This_ was better? She would have hated to have seen "worse."

"So…" she intoned.

"So," Ernesto echoed, running his hands through his hair. "I guess I should thank you."

"Me?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, for supporting me, telling your daughter about me. Sending me to the VAO. I thought it wouldn't help, but it has."

"I'm glad," Hannah said. "I assume you're finally talking about it."

Ernesto nodded solemnly. "Yeah. It's not easy, forcing memories I've hidden for years into the light. I'd kept them deep inside for so long, it's like pulling off a nasty scab to bring them back up."

Ernesto still had a way with words, Hannah thought. "But it's helping," she assured him.

"It is…but slowly." Ernesto rubbed his eyes. "My counselor tells me lots of soldiers go through this. I think I always thought I was the only one. I even met another solider who was on Mindoir. He saw worse than I did. In some ways, I think I'm lucky."

Hannah put her lips together in a grim smile. "You're a brave man, Ernesto."

Ernesto shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'd rather have been brave without Mindoir."

Hannah nodded, understanding his sentiment. The room fell silent, neither sure what to say after all the years and with the subject of conversation so depressing. Hannah finally thought of something that might encourage Ernesto.

"Batarians are pretty much taken care of," she said. "With the Alliance attack on Torfan and the destruction of pirate bases in the region, they aren't much to worry about anymore."

"Batarians," Ernesto growled out. "I never want to see another one in my life. I wish their whole planet would just blow up."

Hannah was a little taken aback by Ernesto's vehement tone, but she granted him some slack. If he was pulling up memories of Mindoir again, his fury was completely understandable.

Ernesto's sudden anger faded and he breathed out slowly. "You want something to drink?"

Hannah eyed him suspiciously. "Like…"

Ernesto now laughed. "They made me swear not to drink any alcohol for several months. I've kept my end of the bargain, but it ain't easy."

"Alright, then," Hannah said.

Ernesto strolled into the small kitchenette, retrieving a bottle of dark brown liquid, pouring it into two glasses, then returning and handing one to Hannah.

Hannah took a sip, pleasantly surprised by the taste in her mouth. "Root beer!"

Ernesto nodded, smiling. "Imported direct to the Citadel from Earth. At least I can drink something with beer in the title." Ernesto began to snicker and soon he and Hannah were sharing a hearty laugh together. The melancholy atmosphere had been broken and they spent the next thirty minutes reminiscing about the good times on the Einstein and sharing what they knew regarding what had happened over the years to old friends.

At last, Hannah stood up, saying she had other business to attend to before she returned to the Kilimanjaro. Ernesto walked her to the door. Before she exited, Hannah reached out and shook Ernesto's hand.

"I can't express how glad I am to see you getting better. Keep at it, Ernesto. Don't give up."

Ernesto shook her hand firmly. "I won't, Commander. I'll make you proud of me. I promise."

When the door slid shut and Hannah found herself walking back down the hall, she sighed deeply. Time had its ups and downs and some people seemed to suffer more of the downs than others. It was encouraging to see Ernesto resolutely taking his past on, staring it straight in the face so he could come out better on the other side.

When Hannah reached the large lounge at the end of the hall, she found Lucas sitting alone on a couch. "No girl?" she inquired.

"Struck out. Didn't want to disturb you." Lucas stood up. "Where are we off to next?"

Hannah peered around the lounge. The message's author had said he or she would find Hannah, not the other way around. Hannah didn't know where to go. "I'm not sure."

"Look. Just tell me what's going on. Seriously, I'm getting a bit freaked out."

Hannah observed Lucas' face, evidently disturbed by the outing he'd been forced to go on. "Let's just go to Flux for now."

"Now you're talkin'!" Lucas exclaimed. They hailed another taxi that ferried them over to the Upper Wards. As they were approaching Flux, a man with a thin goatee and an overly excited voice accosted them.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe it! You're Shepard's mother!"

Hannah took a step back, overwhelmed by the eager man staring at her like she was an object of rare magnificence. Was this the author of the message? It seemed unlikely with the way he was shouting out concerning her identity.

"Uh…Who are you?"

"I'm a really good friend of your daughter's," he exclaimed, grabbing Hannah's hand and almost shaking it to death. "Conrad Verner."

"O-kay…Nice to meet you, Conrad," Hannah said uncertainly. Jane had never mentioned this man to her, but then again, Hannah didn't know a lot about Jane's life these days.

"I know _everything_ about Shepard!" the man claimed. "I've watched all the vids about her and read all the articles on the extranet. There's a picture of you on one of them, so I recognized you. Wow. I can't believe I'm meeting the woman who created my hero."

Hannah tilted her head, disturbed. There was a picture of her on the extranet? Great. Just what she wanted. She also felt suddenly wary of this Conrad. His hero? She was starting to get the impression this guy didn't know Jane at all, or at least, _wasn't_ good friends with her. She didn't think a close friend would be so into hero worship. Close friends would be too well aware of your flaws to worship the ground you walked on.

"Can I get your signature on my data pad? For my collection?"

Hannah just wanted this man, whoever he was, to leave her alone as he obviously wasn't the person she was looking for. If signing his data pad got him out of her hair, so be it. "Okay. Then I've got to go."

"No problem," Conrad said, grinning from ear to ear.

She took the stylus Conrad handed her and quickly signed his data pad. He then shook her hand again and waved good-bye when she and Lucas moved on.

"What a nut!" Lucas commented, staring over his shoulder at the man that had accosted them.

Hannah laughed. "Jane may have made some enemies, but at least she has one diehard fan."

They were nearing Flux, Lucas' smile broadening with every step, his eyes wandering the stairway that led to the club, obviously trying to scope out some pretty girls. They were a few yards away from the stairs when a deep voice sounded behind them.

"Don't turn around. Keep walking past the stairs and keep going until I tell you to stop." Hannah felt a round point of pressure in her back and assumed a gun had been pressed into her skin.

Lucas made to turn, but the voice caused him to halt. "You try anything, lover boy, and your woman's dead. I've got a pistol on her that will burn her from the inside out the minute I shoot."

Lucas kept his eyes forward, but looked at Hannah in his peripheral vision. Hannah nodded her head at him, confirming the fact that she did have a pistol pointed at her. They followed the voice's instructions, passing Flux and continuing down the hall. Hannah was assaulted by the memory of when she'd been set upon by Balak and his cronies. She didn't want a repeat of that situation. At least she wasn't alone this time.

"There's a door coming up on your left. Enter it," the voice commanded.

Hannah and Lucas did as the voice demanded. The door opened into a narrow hallway, probably only used by maintenance workers as it was dimly lit with a red glowing light. Hannah heard the door shut behind her and the eerie similarity to her encounter with Balak caused her heart to start beating rapidly. When the door slid shut, the voice spoke.

"Now, walk down the hall. And if you see anyone, don't say a word."

Hannah began to move down the hall, but winked at Lucas with the corner of her eye, holding her right hand into her chest to count down from five to one. When her last finger curled into her palm, they both turned, their combat training going into automatic. The owner of the voice was thrown backwards, kicked by Lucas and pushed by Hannah into a wall. Lucas snapped up the pistol that had fallen out of the voice's hands.

Hannah stared angrily at the figure pinned with its back against the wall in front of them. It wore a long brown cape with the hood drawn over its head so far that its face wasn't visible.

"Who are you?" Hannah demanded.

The figure pulled back its hood, but its head was covered in a mask, only two widely set black eyes showing. "I'm not going to hurt you. We need to get out of here where anyone can see us, now!"

Hannah realized who she was dealing with. "You're the one who sent me the message."

"Yes. I'm sorry for the dramatics, but I couldn't come to you out in the open. No one can know I'm meeting with you, that I'm even on the station. Will you follow me?"

Lucas shook his head at Hannah, obviously not wanting to trust the figure in front of them an inch. But Hannah wanted to see this through.

"We'll follow. But remember we've got the gun now."

"I said I'm not going to hurt you," the masked figure reiterated. "Let's go."

Hannah and Lucas followed the figure down the hallway, Lucas shaking his head at Hannah, arguing with her silently. Hannah ignored him, keeping her focus on the figure in front of them. She _had_ to know what was going on, despite Lucas' misgivings.

* * *

Author's Note: The dialogue between Hannah and Jane concerning Ernesto comes straight from the game. Since it's not my writing at that point, I wanted to give credit where credit is due: the Mass Effect writers.


	20. Assassin

Hannah kept her eyes glued on the caped figure walking purposefully ahead of her down the hall. There was something familiar in its gait, but she couldn't identify what. Lucas marched next to her, the pistol he'd confiscated aimed at the back of the figure, ready to shoot if necessary.

"Why are we doing this?" he whispered under his breath, so low Hannah hardly heard his question.

"I'll fill you in as soon as I can," Hannah whispered back.

"I have good ears," the figure ahead declared without looking back.

Lucas eyed Hannah uncomfortably, but kept pacing beside her. The figure seemed to be taking them on a backstage tour of the Citadel, moving through a maze of hallways unseen by the public. Hannah hoped her decision to follow was a good one. She tensed every time they turned a corner, afraid her choice would be proved incorrect and an ambush would be lying in wait. Still, she didn't see why anyone would want to ambush _her_. The fact that whoever was in front of her had gone out of their way to contact her made this eventuality seem unlikely. It would seem more probable that the figure wanted to talk to her, not hurt her. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, but probably took far less time, the figure stopped at a door.

"I'll open it," Lucas called out, still wary.

The figure nodded at him, the emotion in its eyes undetectable. Lucas kept the gun leveled at the figure, walked to the door and pushed the panel outside. When the door slid open, Hannah peered intently inside. It looked to be an unused maintenance storage unit. Barren shelves thick with dust filled the walls on all four sides. Footprints in the dust on the floor revealed someone had been there recently, probably the figure standing at the door. There were also a few metal crates present, but other than those, the unit was empty.

"Look okay?" Lucas asked, glancing at Hannah.

"Seems completely empty."

"Go in and check if you're so worried, but make it quick," the deep voice of the figure insisted urgently. "We need to get out of this hall. I think we're safe here, but I can't guarantee it."

Hannah looked to Lucas. "I'll go in."

"Careful, Red," Lucas warned.

Hannah entered the unit. It only took a few steps to cross it. There was nothing out of the ordinary. It was simply quiet and vacant. Suddenly, Hannah heard the sound of a thud behind her. Swinging around quickly, she saw that the caped figure had somehow thrown Lucas into the room and was standing with its foot on his chest, yanking the pistol out of his hand.

Hannah made to rush the figure, but it held up its hands in surrender. "Just proving that if I wanted to, I could have killed him. I don't like people pointing my own weapons at me." The figure holstered the pistol on its hip. The door had slid shut. The figure pushed a panel next to the door. "Let's risk a little more light."

Lucas picked himself up off the ground as the dim light rose slightly, fuming at the figure, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Have a seat," the figure said, gesturing to the crates. Hannah sat down and nodded at Lucas who sat as well, his muted green eyes still furious.

"Who are you?" Hannah asked.

The figure began to laugh. "I had thought my message would reveal my identity. I tried to lace it with hints, but you obviously didn't catch them." The figure reached up and began to peel off the head mask, shaking its head once it was free and sighing loudly.

Hannah stared in surprise. A batarian? Its top set of eyes was blinking and squinting in the light.

"Awful going about using only two eyes. How you humans manage it is beyond me." Now Hannah could see that the batarian spoke through a round device that covered its mouth. The round part resembled a small speaker and was kept in place by a thick band that circled the batarian's head. The batarian pulled the device off and stretched its mouth wide, then grinned at Hannah.

"Hello, Hannah Shepard," it said.

Hannah started. She recognized the voice immediately, though the face was hardly the same, much older and decorated with a long scar down its right side. "Keta…Keta La'ali?"

Keta shook her head. "You really were denser than I thought you would be. I thought my message was clear."

"Wait," Lucas called out. "You _know_ this batarian?" He cocked his head at Hannah.

"Keep your voice down," Keta urged.

"Keta's…an old friend," Hannah said quietly.

"Friend? Batarians and humans aren't friends," Lucas disagreed.

"I saved her ass," Keta came back in a low, yet harsh voice. "Your girlfriend might have died if I hadn't intervened."

Lucas turned a questioning gaze on Hannah. Hannah nodded. "It was a long time ago, the first time I came to the Citadel, but, yes, she did me a great favor. If she hadn't helped me, a group of batarians may have killed me." Hannah looked back at Keta. "And Lucas is _not_ my boyfriend."

"Then why did you bring him? You almost ruined everything by bringing this thing with you." Keta gestured at Lucas.

"I'm not a thing!" Lucas complained loudly.

"Be quiet!" Keta returned. "If someone hears us, this entire affair is a waste."

"What in the world is going on?" Lucas asked, now looking at Hannah for an explanation.

Hannah, however, addressed Keta. "You said not to tell anyone so I didn't, but I didn't know who I was dealing with. I wanted to protect myself. Lucas doesn't know what's going on."

Keta nodded. "I understand, but it complicated things for me. I had hoped to approach you and you'd know me right off, but then I saw him and got worried. I didn't know if someone had gotten to you before I did. If someone knew I was on station."

"Keta," Hannah spoke seriously. "What _is_ going on? Why all the cloak and dagger?"

Keta walked over to a crate across from Hannah and sat cross-legged on its top. "Batarians don't come to the Citadel anymore. I certainly can't walk around out in the open without attracting attention. Thus, the cape and mask."

"And your voice," Hannah stated.

"Yeah. Voice modulator. Projecting a deeper voice gives anyone I have to talk to the impression I'm male."

Hannah contemplated. Keta had gone to great lengths to hide her identity and Lucas had caused her alarm. From the way she talked, it seemed Keta thought someone had it out for Hannah.

"Am I in danger?" Hannah asked Keta.

Keta shook her head. "I don't think so. When I saw your lover…I mean, friend, I thought maybe you were in trouble since you hadn't come alone. But when he tried to defend you, I figured he must know you personally. Still, I wanted to be sure. Now that I _know _he's just your friend, I'm fairly positive you're okay."

"Then why did you contact me?"

Keta returned by asking her own question. "Why didn't you figure out it was me?"

"Your message was anonymous and cryptic," Hannah replied.

"'He Got What He Deserved'," Keta prompted. "And the fact I said I'd find you."

Hannah thought back all those years ago, then it hit her. Keta referred to Balak in her subject line and the last thing she had said to Hannah was that if they ever met again, she'd find Hannah, not the other way around.

Keta saw the light dawn in Hannah's eyes. "Next time, I'll try and be clearer, though I had to cover myself. If it got intercepted, I'd have a price on my head."

"Alright," Lucas spoke again, his voice a whisper. "Will someone start explaining what's up?"

Hannah looked to her friend, confusion and frustration evident on his face. "I received an anonymous message on the Kilimanjaro. That's when I called you, asked you to go along with me. It said that I couldn't tell anyone and someone's life was in danger." Hannah turned her eyes back on Keta, crossing her arms over her chest and repeated her previous question. "So…what _is_ going on?"

Keta stretched her arms above her head, then placed her hands on her crossed legs. "I've been in the same line of work since we last talked. I find jobs here and there, bringing people into agreement with my skills."

"And those are?" Lucas asked.

Keta eyed him with disdain. "I'm good with guns."

"So you go around killing people?" Lucas didn't seem to like the sound of that.

"I haven't killed anyone in several years," Keta shot back, annoyance in her voice. "I just encourage parties to agree to terms."

Lucas shook his head and spoke condescendingly. "You're a heavy. Typical batarian."

Keta now stood. "You want to have this out right here, human? I can take you any day."

"Keta, Lucas," Hannah commanded, standing herself. "Calm down. Lucas, give her some slack. Keta, just…you know humans and batarians don't exactly get along."

Keta sat back down, this time letting her legs dangle off the side of the crate. "I know." She tilted her head to the right* at Lucas, but turned back to Hannah. "But occasionally," she said, picking up her narrative again, "someone does hire me to use my gun only to kill." She snapped her head back to look at Lucas. "And I usually refuse, as I don't want to play such dangerous games anymore. I'm older and those kinds of jobs are just the ones I don't want to be caught doing. I don't want to spend my retirement in prison."

It struck Hannah that age had mellowed Keta. She remembered a younger batarian, angry at the Hegemony, seemingly more willing to take risks. Time, it seemed, had worn down Keta La'ali.

"So, a week ago, I was contacted regarding an assassination job. And when I saw who it was, I accepted immediately."

Hannah felt her heart pounding in her chest. Things were starting to come clear. Keta was letting her in on the fact that someone was being targeted and Hannah guessed that someone was human. Someone in Parliament? Maybe one of their military leaders? Hannah's mind flew to Steven, who she hadn't seen in a while, but was still a good friend.

"Who is it?" Hannah asked quietly.

Keta blew out a long breath. "Jane Shepard."

Hannah put her hand to her chest, stunned. Jane? Someone wanted Jane assassinated? Who and why?

"It didn't take but a quick extranet search for me to confirm she was your daughter."

"And you accepted?" Lucas confronted Keta angrily.

Keta rounded on him. "You wanted me to refuse and have them go find someone else? Someone who might actually carry it out?"

Lucas pursed his lips together, irritated he had to concede to Keta's point. He shook his head.

"There's something shady about this, Hannah," Keta said, fixing her with serious a serious gaze. "I can't put my finger on it, but this isn't a standard assassination."

Hannah found her voice and it came out weakly. "What's different?"

"Call it my intuition, but whoever hired me doesn't want just a simple assassination. They_ say_ that's all they want, but I get the distinct impression I'm being lied to. They won't contact me directly. They send me encrypted messages with a different distorted voice every time. They don't want me to see them and that's unusual."

"Why?"

"Someone who hires an assassin may send a lackey in his stead to protect his identity, but he also wants to make sure the assassin will get the job done and I haven't known anyone who didn't want to get a read on the gun they're hiring. I've not met someone in the flesh on this job yet."

Hannah wrung her hands, trying to think. Someone wanted Jane dead. But Jane was safe—for now. "What are your instructions?"

"I've got a month to track her down and kill her, anyway I want, they say. They keep sending me updates on places she's been and places she's going to. She's busy. Your daughter's apparently been traipsing all over the galaxy."

Hannah felt her stomach churn. "That means someone on the inside is funneling these people information."

Keta nodded. "Now you know why I couldn't go to anyone higher up in the Alliance or even to the Council. Not that they'd trust the word of a batarian anyway. The Hegemony's done a nice job of messing up our relationship with the galaxy." Keta paused, then spoke softly. "So I did the next best thing. I went to her mother."

Hannah still had her hand to her chest, feeling it rise up and down rapidly. "Thank you."

Keta shrugged. "I didn't save your life to let your daughter die. I figure I've kind of got an investment in you. I can't call in the favor you owe me if I kill your daughter."

Lucas snorted. "So, this is a 'you rub my back and I'll rub yours thing'."

Keta shook her head. "It was a joke, grufax."

"What did you call me?" Lucas asked.

"You don't want to know," Keta informed him.

"So, what do you suggest?" Hannah asked hurriedly, wanting to keep the peace between Keta and Lucas.

Keta turned her attention back to Hannah. "You can go to someone higher up, someone you trust and _only_ that person. I don't know where this is coming from, so the fewer who know the better. And _do not_ tell your daughter."

"She should know…" Hannah started to protest.

"They _know_ where she's going, what she's doing. For all I know, there's someone on her ship monitoring all her communications. I don't know how they're getting their information. And if they figure out that I'm not going to pull this off, that I'm an informant, they'll send someone else to get the job done and whoever that is may put a bullet through your daughter's head."

"I could meet with Jane in person," Hannah said, desperately wanting to tell her daughter what was happening.

"Even then, I worry her ship is bugged or maybe there's even a bug on her person. I know ways to plant a bug on someone where they'll never find it."

Hannah shuddered. She didn't want to know _how _Keta could somehow plant a listening device on (or in) someone's body. Hannah took a long breath. She couldn't tell Jane, not yet. She rubbed her chin, thinking. Who could she go to? Of course, she realized all of a sudden. She could go to Steven. He was an Admiral now; he had considerable clout.

"So if I can't tell Jane, how do I know the person I _do_ talk to isn't being monitored?"

"You won't know for sure," Keta answered, "but from the communication I've received, it seems whoever has hired me is concentrating on your daughter alone. It's her communication that's mostly in doubt. In short, you have to risk it, but hope this risk is better, contacting someone who isn't as close to your daughter. That, and I don't think it has occurred to whoever hired me that I might actually go to the Alliance. They won't be watching for that. Batarian and human animosity works in our favor here."

Hannah nodded, thinking. If she went to Steven, it wouldn't look suspicious since they had been friends for so many years. "Alright, so I'll go to someone I trust. But what do I tell him?"

"We have a month to figure out who hired me and take them down."

Hannah stared at Keta. "We?"

"I can help you, tell you what I know. But, Hannah, I know I'm in trouble here, too. My intuition tells me I'm in as much danger as your daughter. This all feels so wrong. My life preservation kicked in the minute I replied to their first message."

Hannah could tell by the look on Keta's face that she feared for her life. "Alright, I know who I can contact and meet up with. Will you need to be there?"

"I'd like to be if possible," Keta said, "but this has got to be done carefully, covertly."

"Do you have your own ship, a way to stay close to mine?" Hannah was concerned how Keta would keep near her, especially since a batarian wouldn't be welcome in human space.

Keta shook her head. "I got here stowing away on a volus merchant ship."

Hannah took a breath, knowing what she next said would amount to treason. "Can you get on board the Kilimanjaro?"

Keta laughed. "Easily. I hate to tell you this, but your Alliance Navy is slipshod when it comes to guarding their ships."

Lucas growled angrily, but Keta and Hannah ignored him.

"Then, stow away. The person I have to talk to isn't on the Citadel. I'll have to track him down." Hannah couldn't believe she was advising someone to sneak on board her ship. She was committing the act of a traitor by directing an unauthorized alien to board an Alliance ship.

"Is _he_ trustworthy?" Keta suddenly asked, pointing at Lucas.

Lucas puffed out his chest. "I'm not a tattler."

"You can trust him," Hannah confirmed.

Keta ran an eye up and down Lucas. "Alright, then. If you say so." Lucas sat up straighter, angry eyes boring through the batarian.

Hannah stood up and walked over to Keta, reaching out to shake her hand. "Thank you again, for putting your life on the line."

"My pleasure," Keta said, shaking the hand offered her.

"How will I know you made it on board?"

Keta smiled mischievously. "You'll know."

Hannah nodded. "Okay." She walked to the door of the storage unit, gesturing for Lucas to follow her. When she turned around, Keta had put her gear back on and was now hooded. Her voice sounded deep again.

"I'll lead you back."

Hannah and Lucas followed Keta back to the door they'd entered the maintenance area through. Keta left them alone, pacing back down the hall. Hannah waited until the batarian had turned the corner, then opened the door. They stepped back out into the bright light, Hannah blinking her eyes after having spent the last hour in dimly lit areas.

Lucas looked longingly at the stairway to Flux. "We're not going to Flux, are we?"

Hannah shook her head. "I'm not. I suppose you can, if you promise to keep your lips sealed."

Lucas sighed. "I'm going with you. You trust me. I'll see this through."

Hannah smiled. "Thanks, Lucas." She made for the nearest elevator, Lucas walking next to her.

"You're a good _friend_. I'd do anything for you."

Hannah felt uncomfortable with the way Lucas said "friend." It was clear he still wanted something more than the word implied and she still couldn't give it to him, never _would_ give it to him. But she did need his support and loyalty now more than ever.

* * *

Hannah went directly to her quarters with Lucas the moment their shuttle landed back on the Kilimanjaro. Hannah wanted Lucas to encrypt the message she needed to send. They talked about how she should word it and after fifteen minutes, the message was sent.

_Steven, I need to talk to you. This is something that can't wait. I'm in a lot of trouble, and I need you desperately right now. I beg you not to tell anyone about this message, to mention it in any communication. Please meet with me. Hannah._

Lucas left her quarters and Hannah lay on her bed, thinking. She'd tried to make the message sound personal, implying its subject was her and not Jane. Hannah punched her fist into her hand, suddenly angry. She wasn't going to let someone kill her daughter. Losing Daniel had been bad enough; she _wasn't_ going to lose Jane.

Hannah was surprised when her comm beeped in ten minutes time. "Yes?"

"It's Lieutenant Hu. You have a call incoming."

"Patch it through, Lieutenant."

"Yes, ma'am."

There was the sound of static and then Hannah heard the familiar voice of Steven Hackett on the other end. "Hannah, this is Steven."

Hannah's curiosity was piqued. When they communicated across distance, they always used their formal titles. He never called her by her first name unless they spoke in person.

"Hi," Hannah said suspiciously.

"Hey, I'm on Arcturus right now and I know your ship will be heading back this way with Parliament officials. I thought we might get together, have a drink for old time's sake."

Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. He'd gotten her message and this was his way of letting her know. "That sounds great. I'd love to catch up."

"Good. I look forward to seeing you. Steven out."

Hannah lay back on the bed. Her mind was in turmoil over Jane, but now that Steven was on her side, she felt somehow safer, that everything would be okay.

* * *

Later that evening, as Hannah worked the night shift on the bridge, she decided to check her e-mail when the boredom crept in. A new message had popped up, its title blinking "Safe and Sound."

_I've settled in. Meet you on the other side._

Hannah erased the message. Keta was now on board. Hannah realized she was officially in trouble at this point. What she had just done, if it ever was found out, would get her court-martialed. Hannah rubbed her neck. It didn't matter, she told herself. She'd do anything for Jane, even if it meant losing every dream she'd ever had.

* * *

*In batarian culture, tilting your head to the left at someone shows respect. Tilting your head to the right is showing your superiority. (This tidbit can be found on the official ME wiki).


	21. Plan

The Kilimanjaro had just docked at Arcturus Station, when Hannah felt a presence by her side and a light touch on her elbow.

"You want me to come along?"

Hannah turned to find Lucas next to her, his gaze projecting concern for her. "I'd say 'yes' if I weren't afraid that would attract possibly unwanted attention," Hannah whispered. "Admiral Hackett and I are old friends, so it won't seem out of ordinary for us to meet together, but if you're with me…"

Lucas nodded. "Okay."

"But, Lucas," Hannah spoke urgently, "be ready. I may need you yet."

"I'll be there whenever you ask me, Red."

"Thanks."

"See you on station." Lucas tapped his hand to his head in the resemblance of a salute and headed for the elevator.

Hannah turned her attention back where it belonged—the bridge of the Kilimanjaro. It was her duty to make sure the ship was docked properly, everyone off except the skeleton crew left on board to guard it. Hannah mused. They obviously weren't very good at their jobs since she knew Keta had snuck on board without incident. After this whole affair came to its conclusion, she promised herself she'd sit down and have an enlightening chat with Keta regarding the insufficiencies of Alliance Navy guards.

Once Hannah had seen that all crew were properly situated, she asked Novikov for permission to disembark. When he gave his consent, Hannah picked up the bag she had already packed from her quarters and left the Kilimanjaro. As she walked with the bag slung over her shoulder, she tapped on her omni-tool, connecting to Steven Hackett. She waited breathlessly to hear his voice.

"Admiral Hackett here," she heard in her ear.

"Steven, it's me, Hannah."

"Hannah. Welcome back home."

"Thanks. About that drink…"

"I knew you were coming in today. I've carved out an hour from my schedule for you. Where would you like to meet?"

Hannah considered. What if someone was listening in on this call? She didn't want anyone to be tipped off regarding where she and Steven would go. "How about I just come to your office and we go from there?"

"Alright. See you at 1300. Hackett out."

Hannah's heart thumped hard in her chest. Being clandestine had her on pins and needles. Obviously, she wasn't born to be a spy. She'd have the jitters constantly and never get anything accomplished.

Hannah reached her small apartment and punched in the key code, unlocking the door. She walked in, locked the door behind her, then dumped her bag on the small loveseat in her tiny living room. She strolled down the short hall to her room, where she promptly stripped and stepped into the shower. The warm water was a haven after all the excitement and tension that had assaulted her for the last two days. She tried to put thoughts of assassination plots out of her mind and just revel in the water caressing her body. Finally, and reluctantly, she exited the shower, throwing on a pair of loose fitting black pants and an aqua blue t-shirt she snatched out of her closet. Feeling more relaxed, she walked back into the living room of the apartment, her hair still up in a towel from the shower.

She had intended to enter the small kitchenette and grab a snack of some kind, but a voice from the loveseat had her jumping and stopping abruptly, fear gripping her heart.

"You look so different out of uniform."

Hannah put her hand to her chest, shaking her head, then laughed at the batarian sitting nonchalantly on the loveseat, her legs crossed. "Keta."

Keta smiled. "I figured this was the safest place to be. I don't want to risk discovery, not among all these humans."

Hannah took a deep breath, recovering from the scare. "I _did_ lock the door, didn't I?"

Keta nodded. "Don't feel bad. There are very few locks that can keep me out."

Hannah thought again that she never wanted Keta on her bad side. "Want something to eat?"

"Sounds good. I didn't eat anything on board your ship."

Hannah stared. "You haven't eaten in _two days_?"

Keta chuckled. "In my line of work, fasting is a regular occurrence. I can go for thirty days if I have to."

Hannah's eyes widened. A whole month without eating? She'd never make it. She walked into the kitchenette and proceeded to rummage through the fridge. Since she wasn't on station much, the selection was paltry. She ended up throwing together some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She sat down next to Keta and handed her a plate.

Keta held the plate up at eye level, all four of her eyes inspecting it. "What is it?"

"A sandwich."

Keta set the plate on her lap and followed Hannah's example, bringing the sandwich up to her mouth and taking a bite. She nodded in approval, then stopped suddenly, opening and closing her mouth stiffly.

"What is this sticky stuff?" Keta's voice came out muffled.

Hannah bit her tongue to keep from laughing. "Peanut butter."

"It's good…just…hard to eat." Keta downed the sandwich and Hannah walked back into the kitchen to get her a glass of water. Keta took it gratefully and chugged it down. "I've never eaten human delicacies."

Hannah chuckled. "Peanut butter and jelly isn't a delicacy. It's just plain and common."

"Oh," Keta said. "Well, it's a unique flavor. We don't have anything like it." Keta paused, moving her tongue around in her mouth to remove more sticky peanut butter from her teeth. "Did you talk to your contact?"

"He'll meet me at 1300."

Keta flipped on her omni-tool, glancing at the time. "Let's see. That's in about three hours."

"You're welcome to use my shower, sleep, relax, whatever."

"Thank you," Keta said, then sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked, hearing the sorrow in her sigh.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just strangely right. No one's treated me with kindness for a long time. Feels out of place." Keta pulled her legs up on the couch, arms around them, her gaze suddenly distant.

Hannah stared at her, wondering what had happened to the batarian over the years. "How'd you get the scar?" she ventured.

Keta moved a hand up to the right side of her face and gently traced the scar that fell from forehead to chin. She bit her lip, then blew out a breath. "You would go right there, wouldn't you?"

Hannah immediately wanted to take back her question. "I'm sorry I asked about it."

Keta shook her head. "It's my most distinguishing feature now. How could you _not_ notice it and be curious?" Keta paused a moment, then turned her eyes on Hannah. "I think it was, eight years ago now? Agents of the Hegemony found me…Guess who directed them to my location?"

Hannah spoke the name of the only other batarian she knew. "Balak."

Keta nodded. "He wanted his revenge, to hurt me, get me back."

"Because of me?" Hannah asked, feeling suddenly guilty.

"Oh, not only because of you. I had a couple other run-ins with him after the incident on the Citadel."

"So, he led the agents to you?"

"No," Keta spoke angrily. "That coward didn't have the guts to accompany them. He just found out where I was and told the government so they'd send their minions after me."

Hannah decided not to push any farther, not wanting to make Keta remember the details of the event, but Keta continued speaking after a moment of silence, her eyes focused now on her knees.

"I suppose you might understand my…feelings at being attacked by a group of angry batarians, seeing as how I found myself in a situation similar to yours. They surrounded me; one of them had a long knife, a weapon we carry only in homage to our ancestors. A gun is much more effective, though we sometimes use our knives when we are out of options…or to make a point. In this case, the agents meant the latter." Keta paused, biting her lip again.

"You don't have to tell me," Hannah asserted gently.

"I want to." Keta's serious eyes flicked over to Hannah. "I haven't told anyone. There was no one to tell. No one who would understand my fear and not belittle me for it. I'm sick of keeping it in. I can tell you."

Hannah nodded encouragingly.

"So," Keta continued, "despite the fight I put up, they eventually incapacitated me. The one with the knife held it to my throat and another…I don't know the word in your human language, if there is an equivalent."

"I'm sure my translator will work it out for me," Hannah said, paying attention to the comm in her ear.

"We call it ba'kis."

When Hannah heard the translation her heart sank in shock and compassion. The human word was "rape."

"Keta," Hannah stammered. "I'm…so sorry."

Keta didn't acknowledge Hannah's comment, but went right on telling her story, as if she didn't want to dwell on that part of it. "And after it was over, the one with the knife drew it down the side of my face, saying that disfiguring me would remind me that I was a traitor to the Hegemony."

Hannah stared at Keta with compassionate eyes, full of sympathy for the batarian sitting next to her. She reached out a hand to put it on Keta's shoulder. When she did, Keta jumped, her head jerking to look at Hannah.

Hannah abruptly removed her hand. "Sorry."

Keta blew a breath out her nose. "I'm not used to touch. At least, unless someone's trying to kill me."

"How did you get away?" Hannah asked softly.

"After they cut my face and beat me almost senseless, I pretended I was unconscious. Two of them were ordered to carry me back to their ship. Idiots. Leaving me alone with only two. It was easy to escape them. And so the Hegemony lost me again." Keta's eyes narrowed. "And later, they paid for what they did to me."

Hannah heard the fury in Keta's voice. "How?"

"It took almost all the funds I had, but it was worth it. The complex where their agents train was blown to bits. I never felt better than when I watched the video of that incident."

"You planted bombs?" Hannah asked, disturbed.

"_I _didn't. I hired someone else to do that."

A memory from five years ago came back to Hannah: she and Lucas sitting side by side, pouring over pirate data files. "You hired pirates."

"Yes," Keta said. "You pay them enough, they'll do anything for you."

Hannah still felt uncomfortable. "How many of the agents died?"

Keta shrugged her shoulders. "What does it matter? I got them back for this," Keta pointed to her scar, "And that's all that mattered."

Hannah contemplated the hurt and angry batarian next to her, all four of her eyes hard. Hannah had killed batarians herself, but only in defense. It would never have crossed her mind to attack them so underhandedly. But then, she hadn't been raped and cut up by them either. She sympathized with Keta, even though her moral feelings weren't entirely quelled.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer of a shower and sleep," Keta spoke quietly, her eyes clear now, drawn back from the past.

Hannah pointed down the hall. "My room's at the end. Take all the time you want."

Keta stood and strolled down the hall. When the bedroom door slid shut, Hannah laid back on the loveseat. She thought wistfully how nice it would be if no one ever suffered. Everyone seemed to have his own cross to bear. For her, it was Daniel's death. For Ernesto, it was Mindoir. Lucas had a broken relationship and a son he didn't know. Keta bore a scar, a reminder of the most painful event of her life. Hannah drew in a slow breath. What would Jane have? She didn't want Jane to have anything. Jane had been hurt by her father's death, but had overcome. She'd fought at Elysium and stood strong, proving her resiliency. Hannah hoped that Jane had reached the pinnacle of any suffering she'd ever have to face in her life. At the very least, Hannah was going to make sure she didn't suffer an assassination.

* * *

At 1245, Hannah left her apartment, Keta assuring her she would follow and show up wherever Hannah ended up meeting her contact. Hannah compelled herself to walk casually down the hall, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. When she reached Alliance headquarters, she punched in her own personal code and the door opened. She made her way to Steven's office, now on the third level since he'd been promoted to admiral. She approached his office slowly, peering up and down the hall, looking for any unusual loiters, but there was no one. She assumed most of the staff was still out to lunch.

Hannah touched the panel outside Steven's door and heard a chime inside the office. The door slid open within a couple seconds and Hannah saw Steven sitting at his desk, his hand on the button to open the door. He nodded at her.

"So…" Steven started to say, but before he could utter another word, Hannah crossed the room and shoved the data pad she had been carrying onto his desk, pointing at it with one finger and pressing another to her lips.

Steven looked down and read the script that had been typed out: _We can't talk in your office. It might be bugged. We'll need to find a place to talk privately and yet, in public._

When he read the message, Steven looked up at her, his eyes hard. Hannah read apprehension in his gaze, but he nodded.

"Welcome back, Commander," he spoke formally.

"Admiral," she answered.

"So where do you want to go for that drink I promised you?"

"How about we just walk and find a place along the way?"

"Fine with me." Steven stood, gesturing towards the door. He followed Hannah out into the hall, down the stairs and out onto the station. They walked next to each other, ambling aimlessly.

"Where do you suggest?" Steven asked as they walked.

"Where do you think will be safest?" Hannah returned.

"There's a park not far from here."

"It needs to be more private than that."

Steven took a breath. "Would a bar be alright?"

"I think so. More noise to drown out our conversation."

"Gem's, then."

"That's fine."

They walked through several halls, past restaurants and shops. After a while, they found themselves in front of a bar already doing good business, but not so crowded that they couldn't find a private booth in the corner, effectively its own room. Steven ordered a couple drinks from the server, then turned his striking sky blue eyes on Hannah.

"Talk to me, Hannah. What's going on?"

"We need to wait a little, for a friend of mine."

Steven leaned back in his seat. "Alright." Hannah knew he trusted her and was glad all those years ago Steven and Daniel had become friends. She'd kept up with Steven over the years, though at times keeping up had meant only occasional e-mails to check in. As Hannah contemplated the man across from her, she realized how old he looked now. He was only three years younger than her, yet his hair and thin beard were already mostly gray. His face bore the wrinkles of stress more than age. A scar was evident from his right cheekbone to his lip. Hannah wasn't sure where he'd gotten it; it came from one of the numerous campaigns he'd been involved in. Hannah thought Steven Hackett looked like a man carrying the burdens and troubles of the Alliance Navy.

Someone else slid into a chair at their table and Hannah recognized Keta, although the hood of her cape was pulled far forward again to hide her mask. Steven ran an eye over the figure that had joined their party and looked to Hannah, who nodded.

"Okay. Now, tell me."

Hannah took a long breath, ready to launch into an explanation. "This friend," Hannah waved her hand at Keta, "came to me on the Citadel." Hannah paused, then spoke on, deciding she had to mislead Steven. "He's an assassin."

Steven's eyebrows rose. "And a friend?"

"You remember when I was attacked by batarians my first time on the Citadel?"

Steven nodded. "How could I forget? I felt I'd let you and Daniel down."

"My friend here was the Good Samaritan."

Steven's blue eyes flicked to the caped figure, then back to Hannah. "I understand."

"He doesn't take on assassination work anymore, but lately was contacted regarding…" Hannah hushed as the server returned to their table, placing two drinks on the table. Hannah pulled hers over and took a sip. Steven put his hand around his own drink, but didn't bring it to his lips.

"Continue," Steven commanded.

"He was hired to carry out the assassination…of Jane Shepard."

Steven sucked in a breath, now picking up the glass and taking a long swig. "Alright. I'm starting to see what's going on here. He came to you instead of taking her out." Steven turned to Keta and nodded, acknowledging the integrity of her action. Keta nodded back.

Steven continued. "And when he doesn't kill her, they'll send someone else. Do I follow?"

Hannah nodded. "Jane's only safe for now."

"Why not tell me this in my office? What makes you think we have a breach in our security?"

Keta now spoke, her voice projected in a deep tone through the modulator. "Whoever has hired me keeps sending me updates regarding where Jane Shepard has been and where she is going."

An angry breath escaped through Steven's nose. His jaw set and he shook his head. "Jane's on confidential missions. _No one_ should know about them."

"I had assumed that," Hannah said. "She doesn't even tell me what she's up to."

"So someone is a mole. On her ship or maybe even in my office or someone connected to the Council."

"It looks that way," Hannah affirmed.

Steven leaned forward, his elbows on the table, rubbing his chin with his hands. "Jane's mission is vitally important. She can't be compromised."

"And we can't tell her about this," Hannah said. "My friend says that her ship or even she herself could be implanted with a listening device."

Steven nodded, then slapped his left hand down on the table while bringing his right up to his face, combing through his beard. "Okay. We can't tell her, but we know she's safe for now. The best we can do is find out who put this contract out on her."

"I agree," Hannah said, "but we can't be sure who to trust on this. So, I'd like to ask you for a big favor, Steven."

"What's your plan?"

"Give me a ship and a pilot. My friend and I can find out who's behind this, stop them before Jane's in danger and hopefully discover how they are getting their information."

"And I can work from my end, checking out my staff and the Council as much as possible," Steven returned thoughtfully. "And maybe figure out someway to verify the people on the Normandy are trustworthy."

Hannah nodded.

"You'll need a tech specialist."

"I have someone in mind."

"Who?"

"Lucas Cox. He's on the Kilimanjaro with me."

"Cox…I recognize the name…" Steven rubbed his temples, thinking. "Yes, I know. He created a new encryption code, sent it in a few days ago. It's good. We're already using it. He'd be just the man for the job."

Hannah smiled. Lucas would be glad to know his code was already receiving high praise.

"Just you three and a pilot," Steven stated. "I know I can trust you, Hannah. And you have the greatest motivation to see this mess resolved." He looked to Keta again. "And if you trust, whoever this is, then I do, too."

Steven leaned forward and fixed Hannah with a gaze. "Meet me in hangar 56 in forty-five minutes. I need to cancel a meeting, get some ears to the ground immediately, but I'll be there. Pack, bring what you need and call Lieutenant Cox." Steven stood, saluted to Hannah who saluted back and marched out of the bar, a man on a mission.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Keta commented, leaning back in her chair.

Hannah thoughtfully watched Steven walking down the hall through the bar windows. "I think Steven Hackett would do almost anything for me, out of an obligation to my deceased husband."

"He's a good asset," Keta asserted.

Hannah smiled with half her mouth at the term. An asset. Keta must see most people that way in her line of work. "He's not just an asset, he's a good friend," Hannah murmured quietly.

"Even better," Keta concurred.


	22. Agrippa

Keta told Hannah she would meet her at hangar 56, saying it would be better if they weren't seen together. Hannah left Gem's alone, heading back to her apartment, feeling nervous and excited now that her meeting with Steven had gotten the ball rolling. She connected to Lucas through her omni-tool as she walked.

"Yes?" she heard Lucas on the other end.

"Lucas, I need you now."

"Tell me what you need me to do and consider it done." Hannah felt heartened at the sound of her friend's voice. She was glad someone she knew well was coming along on her mission.

"You're going to be gone for a while. Pack a bag and meet me at hangar 56 at 1430."

"Got it. I'll be there."

"And Lucas, the brass likes your new encryption. They're already using it."

"Awesome!" Hannah smiled at Lucas' youthful response. She didn't think Lucas would ever let himself grow old.

"Shepard out." Hannah ended the conversation right as she reached her apartment. She entered and threw together a few of her belongings. Then she stood in front of a full length mirror, considering her attire. This wouldn't be official Alliance business, so she didn't think she'd be required to wear her uniform. She pulled up her shoulder length red hair, twisting it into a bun on the back of her head to get it out of her way. She paused a moment, and a hand went to her neck as she fingered the silver chain she wore, tracing the chain down to the tiny rocket dangling from its center. _Daniel_, she spoke inwardly, gazing into the mirror, _I won't let anything happen to her. I'll take care of her, just like I said I would. You can trust me._ Hannah let go of the rocket charm, and turned to her closet, pulling out an assortment of comfortable clothes to take along and stuffing them into her bag.

Hannah headed towards the door, not wanting to be late, but tarried for a just a moment when a thought struck her. She sat down on the loveseat, pulling out her data pad and tapping a quick message to Jane.

_Jane, I wanted to let you know I've gotten busy suddenly—you know the Alliance, all work, no play. I might not be able to respond to you often, but I wanted you to know I love you and I hope soon we can both get leave and hang out again. Take care. Your Mother, Commander Hannah._

Hannah reread the message, fully aware it didn't say what she really wanted it to say. If she somehow failed in this mission and Jane was assassinated, she felt the message should say more, go deeper, tell Jane all the things she'd never gotten around to telling her. She didn't want Jane to die and not know how much she meant to her, how much she would miss her.

Hannah stood up resolutely, pushing thoughts of failure aside. Jane wasn't going to die. She'd stop whoever was a threat to her daughter even if she had to give her own life in the process. Hannah tapped the send button and slipped her data pad back into her bag. She tromped to the door, exited, locking it behind her, and headed to hangar 56.

* * *

When Hannah reached hangar 56, it was empty except for an old man sitting on a crate next to several ships of a design she didn't recognize. The old man raised his head, pulling a cigar out of his mouth, and held out a hand to her.

"Hannah Shepard?"

"Yes?" Hannah asked, strolling forward and shaking his hand. He had a surprisingly firm grip for a man his age.

"I'm your pilot."

Hannah stared. The man had to be coming up on eighty with all the wrinkles on his face. Hannah knew humans were living longer, but she'd never met a pilot _this_ old.

The old man's amber eyes twinkled. "I'm spryer than I look."

"Uh…I didn't mean any insult," Hannah apologized, understanding he'd read the uncertainty on her face accurately.

"None taken. I know I look worse for wear these days. But I've got the experience you need. Young'uns today don't have a clue."

Hannah heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Steven entering the hangar. He strode up to her, his face looking even more worn. "I see you've met your pilot." He reached out and shook the old man's hand. "Pat. Thanks for coming out of retirement."

"I've got some motivation," the man mumbled back as he shook Steven's hand. "I'm tired of spending my days playing shuffle board at the retirement center." He winked at Steven, who smiled at the joke.

Steven looked to Hannah. "This is Patrick Morales."

"Call me Pat, everyone does," Patrick stated, putting his cigar to his mouth and taking a long suck.

"I've known him since the First Contact War. You can trust him completely."

"Well, then, welcome aboard, Pat," Hannah said, hoping she'd warm up soon to the man who had left his retirement to ferry her around the galaxy.

"And these," Steven said, gesturing around the room at the five ships in the hangar, "Are prototypes. Small stealth ships we'd worked on a year back. The program was scrapped when the larger Normandy showed such success. Most of them were broken down for parts, but we still have these left. Your ship won't be big, but sufficient."

"We'll make do," Hannah said, staring at the ships in the room, excitement filling her. In a moment, she'd finally have charge over her own ship. True, only four people would occupy it, but it would still be _her_ ship. "Which one will we take?"

Steven pointed at the one closest to her left. "The Agrippa."

Hannah ran her eye over the ship. It was miniscule compared to the Kilimanjaro and tiny compared to the Einstein. Actually, if Steven hadn't introduced her to the ship, she would have taken it for a merchant ship and not an Alliance vessel. "Marcus Vipsanius?" she asked.

Steven nodded. "All of them were named after famous military leaders from Earth's history."

The door behind them swooshed open, and Hannah and Steven turned to see who had entered. Patrick sat still, puffing away on his cigar, keen eyes observing the man striding through the door. Lucas walked towards them, carrying a duffle bag. He'd also changed out of uniform, looking much more relaxed in a pair of khakis and a red button down shirt.

"Sir," he said, stopping and saluting when he reached Steven.

"At ease, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir." Lucas dropped his bag to the floor. "Which one's ours?"

Hannah pointed at the Agrippa.

"Not big, but I guess we don't need much."

Steven nodded. "I got you both leave for an indeterminate period of time. Mikhail's not happy about it, but he'll have to deal with it."

Hannah noticed someone else had silently joined their group, seemingly out of nowhere. Steven suddenly became aware, too.

"Welcome," he said quietly.

Keta nodded, her cape still covering her face. Hannah intuited she must have been in the hangar for a long while.

"I need to talk to station security," Steven mumbled under his breath.

"_She's_ coming?" Lucas asked sharply. Hannah sent him a warning glance, but it was too late.

"She?" Steven asked, staring pointedly at Hannah, who smiled weakly and shrugged her shoulders. Steven took a breath. "I won't ask. You have your reasons and I assume they're good ones.

"We need her," Hannah said, amending Keta's gender to the correct one and addressing Lucas. "Why do you think she's here?"

Lucas answered Hannah, but his eyes were still fixed on Keta. "To meet with the admiral. But I thought that was it."

"Well, she's coming, Lucas, so lay off."

Lucas sighed and said, "Alright, Red, for you," but the contemptuous look he kept sending Keta didn't change.

Steven rubbed his hands together. "Since you're all here, I'll take you on board, show you around. I've scheduled your departure for 1530. Officially, you're a scientific vessel tracking changes in various stars around the galaxy."

Steven led the assembled group through the ship. It was as small on the inside as the outside. The bridge was the largest section. Behind it was a conference room that contained a circular table with a map in its center. A simple medical ward and engineering were combined. Only three rooms had been provided for crew to sleep in. Steven insisted that Keta and Hannah occupy their own rooms and directed that Lucas and Pat share the last room. Steven explained the ship wasn't designed for comfort. It was meant to function as an intelligence vessel, moving between stations and planets during covert operations. As such, it had been equipped with forward and aft turrets for use in an emergency. Still, Steven gave Hannah a direct command _not_ to engage any other ships.

"Just don't get into any fights. Flee if you have to, but don't use your weapons unless it's your last resort," he advised as he left the ship, making for the door to the hangar. Hannah walked with him. When they reached the door and it slid open, Steven shook Hannah's hand.

"Find whoever wants Jane dead and I promise, we'll shut them down for good."

"Thank you," Hannah returned gratefully.

"Good luck." Steven stepped back and the door slid shut, Hannah hearing it lock behind her as she strode back to the Agrippa.

* * *

Pat had immediately taken over the helm, sitting in its seat, running his hands over the controls, becoming familiar with them. He demanded everyone stay out for the time being. He didn't want any superfluous noise to disturb him. Hannah acquiesced for the moment, telling herself she'd have to get used to Pat's gruff way. She, Keta and Lucas put their belongings in their respective rooms, then met in the conference room to discuss strategy.

Hannah handed the floor to Keta first. "Keta, you're the one who was hired. How do you suggest we proceed?"

Keta, who had dispensed with her cape and mask, rubbed her top eyes and then her lower ones. "Wait until they contact me again, then trace their signal." Her eyes swiveled over to Lucas. "I'm assuming you can do that?"

"Of course," Lucas came back haughtily.

Hannah lowered her head, sending him a warning look. Lucas raised his hands, placating Hannah.

"Then we head to the signal. It's the best place to start," Keta concluded.

"Sounds easy enough," Hannah said.

"For _now_," Lucas stated, his condescending tone obviously meant for Keta as he glared at her angrily.

"Lucas," Hannah blurted out, "What _is_ your problem?"

Lucas thumbed on the data pad on the table in front of him, stood and shoved it into Keta's face. "This!"

"Ah," Keta intoned, a slight smile playing around her lips.

"Ah is right!"

"What is it?" Hannah asked. Lucas turned and handed her the data pad. He'd pulled up a file from the extranet. A picture of some kind of animal that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a rat with protruding teeth stared up at her from the screen.

"It's an animal," Hannah said, not quite seeing what the big deal was.

"It's not just any animal," Lucas huffed. "Read the description."

Hannah read: _The grufax is a rodent found on Khar'shan. It is known for its lack of intelligence and tendency to destroy dwellings. Grufax are particularly fertile, mating almost constantly and able to produce up to twenty babies per litter. For this reason, they are killed by the thousands annually to reduce the population. In essence, grufax are unwanted vermin that make no contributions to the planetary environment._

Now Hannah's memory was jogged. Keta had called Lucas a grufax when they talked to her on the Citadel. Hannah looked up at Lucas' offended face and suddenly felt laughter welling up within her, amused he was so upset he'd been compared to a fertile rodent. She tried not to, but a giggle escaped her lips and quickly turned into a chuckle. Keta began to join in and soon she and the batarian were laughing loudly.

"It's not funny!" Lucas exploded.

Just then, Pat entered the room and his rough voice sounded loudly through the conference room. "What the…That's a batarian!"

Hannah couldn't help it. Her laughter heightened even farther, tears coursing down her cheeks as she stared at Pat's stunned face, eyes wide, mouth open, seemingly not knowing if he should grab a gun or make a run for it.

"Cool it," Lucas said, when the pilot reached for a rifle on the wall. "She's with us."

"Who is she?" Pat demanded, his heavy eyebrows creased in distrust.

Keta stood with her hand outstretched, but Pat backed up. Hannah stood up next to Pat.

"Pat, this is Keta La'ali. A friend and the one with the information that will lead us to the people that want to kill my daughter."

Pat slowly stuck out his hand, shaking the hand Keta had offered to him. He shook his head and whistled. "No one's gonna believe I met a batarian that wasn't trying to kill me."

"I _am_ an assassin," Keta clarified, not wanting to be perceived as too soft.

Pat backed up again. "I guess I should get back to the helm."

"What did you come in here to tell us?" Hannah asked.

"Oh, yeah," Pat said, remembering why he'd entered in the first place. "Wanted to let you know it's all in good working order. We're ready whenever they give us the go ahead."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, alrighty then. You guys continue your meeting." Pat paced back towards the bridge, sending at backwards glance at Keta and muttering as he walked. "Batarian…I met a batarian…They won't believe this…I can't tell anyone at the retirement center…"

"So…" Lucas spoke, "about this." He pointed at his data pad.

Keta grinned. "Get over it."

"Hannah?" Lucas asked, wanting some help, a little defense.

Hannah sighed, looking to both Lucas and Keta in turn. "We're going to have to work as a team on this mission. I think you both need to bury the hatchet. Start afresh."

"Keta La'ali," Keta said, holding out her hand to Lucas, making the first gesture of conciliation.

Lucas considered, contemplating the batarian's slender hand, then held it firmly. "Lucas Cox."

Hannah crossed her arms over her chest, hoping her team could keep the good will together long enough to finish their mission.

* * *

The Agrippa took to space with no problems, exiting the hangar right on schedule. Pat was definitely a skilled pilot. Hannah felt almost no movement as he took off. He asked where they should lay in a course to and since Hannah didn't know yet, she told him to travel several kilometers, then let it drift until they had a heading.

Keta had informed Hannah that she'd been contacted fairly regularly, every three days or so. She hadn't received any contact in a couple days, so she figured they'd be in touch soon. Lucas had set up his equipment, connecting to Keta's omni-tool, ready for the call.

Waiting was the worst part. They sat around for several hours, everyone trying to alleviate the boredom. Pat and Lucas played a couple rounds of checkers on a game board, but Pat eventually decided to take a rest. He still hadn't quite recovered from the fact a batarian was living in such close quarters with him. He kept shifting his gaze to Keta and shaking his head in disbelief.

When Pat left, Lucas sat back, flipping through the news on his data pad. After a couple minutes, he threw the pad down and declared himself bored to tears.

"Red, up for some poker?" he asked seductively.

"No way," Hannah said, concentrating all the more on her own data pad. "I don't want to lose my life savings."

"Oh come on. How about we don't play for money?"

Hannah looked up for a moment. "I don't want to put up with you crowing over my defeat this whole mission."

Lucas sighed, picking up his data pad again and scanning through the news for the hundredth time.

"I'll play."

Lucas lifted his eyes to look at Keta. "You?"

"Why not? What else are you going to do?"

"You know how?"

"Teach me."

"O-kay," Lucas said, sounding like he wasn't too sure he wanted to play the game with the batarian, but forced to admit she was absolutely right—he had nothing better to do.

As her friends played, Hannah became lost in her own thoughts, skimming through maps and charts of the galaxy, refreshing her memory, and pondering who could be behind the contract on Jane. She wished she knew what Jane was up to, that Steven had been able to give her a small hint. She didn't know enough about Jane's life right now to speculate concerning specific enemies she may have made. She was pulled out of her long reverie when she heard a loud accusation fill the room, coming from Lucas.

"You lied!"

"I never said I didn't know how to play."

"You implied it!"

"You made that judgment. That's your fault."

Hannah stood up and approached her two companions sitting at the other end of the conference table. Playing cards and a pile of credits littered the table on their end.

"What now?" Hannah asked in exasperation.

Lucas pointed at Keta. "She told me to teach her poker. But she's _too_ good. She knew beforehand."

"Keta?" Hannah asked. She felt like the mother of a little child all over again, mediating disputes and disciplining when necessary.

Keta smiled mischievously. "I can't help what he thought he understood."

Hannah's eyes widened as she counted the credits on the table. "Woah. Lucas, you lost _that_ much?"

Lucas cupped his hands around the credit pile. "No, I didn't. Nothing counts since she cheated." He started to slide the credits back to himself when Keta reached out and gripped his wrists.

"I won. They belong to me now…grufax."

"Don't you call me that!" Lucas yelled out.

"I wouldn't if you didn't act like one!"

"Alright, both of you, I've had it!" Hannah shouted above both their voices. "Keta, let him take his money back. Lucas, now you know she's skilled, maybe you can learn something from her, ask her for tips or something."

"I'm never playing her ag…" Lucas began to proclaim when a sudden beeping filled the room, causing everyone to hush instantly. The dispute over the poker game was forgotten in sudden activity. Keta flipped on her omni-tool, looking down and then up to nod at Hannah and Lucas, confirming she was receiving an audio call from her contacts. She rushed over to Lucas' setup, sitting down next to his computer. Lucas took his place next to her, his hands on his computer panel, ready to trace the call. He nodded for Keta to answer.

Keta tapped on her omni-tool. "La'ali speaking."

"You're moving too slowly," a distorted voice strained out, eerily deep and slow. Lucas had funneled Keta's call through his computer's speakers so everyone in the room could hear the voice.

"Shepard moves quickly. She's in and out before I can catch up with her."

There was a moment of silence. "You only have three weeks left."

"It'll be done."

"We have a lot riding on this. You let us down, we'll come get the money we've already handed over to you."

"I understand."

"Shepard's heading towards the Attican Beta Cluster. We'll let you know when she's settled down again." The call ended abruptly.

Hannah looked closely at Lucas while he tapped his computer panel, his eyes intent on the screen. "Lucas?"

"Hang on." A minute went by. "They're tricky. It was scrambled quite a bit, bouncing all over the place…And…there!" Lucas pointed to the map in the middle of the conference table. A dot had appeared, lit up in red.

"All I could get was a station, though I have an ID number for the signal. When we get there, I can track it if it's in use, get us to a specific location."

Hannah leaned in to get a good look at the map. "Omega."

Keta snorted. "I should have guessed. We should have just headed there immediately."

"Omega? Great," Lucas said, making it clear through his tone that the fact they were headed to the criminal capital of the galaxy wasn't great at all.

* * *

Hannah had a little trouble waking Pat, who wasn't at all happy his rest had been cut short. Still, he stumbled to the cockpit and began the flight to Omega. He informed her it would take a while, up to a day at most, as they had to connect through several mass relays.

Hannah decided to try and get some sleep. When she passed through the conference room, she found Lucas alone, still tapping away on his computer.

"Where's Keta?"

"I think she decided to take a nap."

"I'm headed that way myself."

"Have a good rest, Red, you'll need it."

Hannah had almost made it to the door at the other end of the room, when she changed direction and turned on her heel. "Lucas?"

"Yeah?" He pried his eyes off his computer screen to look at her.

"Keta's had a rough life. She doesn't need you making it rougher."

"Oh yeah? So, you take the batarian's side, the alien you've only met a couple times over a friend you've had for years."

Hannah stomped over to a chair next to Lucas, plunking down in it and leaning in close to his face. "Seriously, sometimes I just want to throttle you, beat the crap out of you on the combat floor again like I did when I was your Lieutenant."

Lucas moved his hands away from his computer and pushed back in his chair, rubbing his neck. "Sorry."

"You should be," Hannah concurred.

Lucas sucked in a slow breath. "I've had something on my mind. I guess it's coming through in my actions, too."

"What is it?" Hannah asked, concerned.

"I contacted my son," Lucas explained.

"Oh," Hannah said, surprised.

"I figured if I was going to take on some criminal organization, I might as well let him know who I was before I died."

Hannah didn't exactly like the doomed way Lucas described their mission, but she understood his sentiment.

"And…"

"He wrote me back."

"Then what's wrong?"

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his muddy brown hair tinged with gray. He picked up his data pad, swiping through its screens until he found what he was looking for. He handed it to Hannah. "Read for yourself."

Hannah skimmed the long message. It was full of vitriol, laced with profanity and accusations, ending with an unequivocal statement that Lucas' son didn't want to hear from him ever again. When she finished reading it, Hannah looked up at Lucas. "I'm sorry." "Yeah," Lucas answered, looking down. "I failed him but good, didn't I?"

"Well, I'm sure a lot of what he said came from his mother," Hannah said, wanting to ease the pain her friend was feeling.

"Oh, sure, but I still messed up as a dad."

"Maybe now that you've broken the ice, maybe after he calms down, he'll be more willing to let you into his life," Hannah encouraged.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, obviously doubtful. "I don't think that's going to happen." He reached out to work on his computer again, but Hannah put her hand on top of his, getting his attention.

"You've been hurt, you've messed up. _That's_ what I mean about Keta. She's been through a lot and you need to give her the same sympathy you want from others."

Lucas twisted his lips, thinking. "What do you know about her?"

Hannah stood up. "I don't want to presume to share her secrets with you. But I will tell you she was taken from her family at the age of five and taught to kill and if that beginning doesn't mess you up, I don't know what will."

Hannah marched towards the door that led to her quarters, hoping she'd left Lucas with some food for thought.


	23. Omega

Hannah awoke from her nap refreshed. She'd slept surprisingly well considering the momentous event that would soon be upon them: confronting whoever had hired Keta. She washed quickly at the sink in her room, then exited into the short hall, crossing to the door that led into the conference room. When the door slid open, she found Lucas and Keta both in the room. At first, she assumed she'd caught them in another disagreement. Keta had her hands around Lucas' throat. She almost ran up to Keta to throw her off and defend Lucas, but Lucas spoke right after she opened the door.

"And then what?"

"Move your hands up here," Keta said, letting go and pointing to her top set of eyes.

Lucas followed her instructions, placing his hands over her eyes.

"Now, if you press your thumbs hard into the corners, near the tears ducts, you'll cause a batarian's top set of eyes to go blind."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"It doesn't hurt," Keta said, "though it's uncomfortable. But I appreciate your consideration, learning and not doing." She stepped back from Lucas. "That's all it takes really. We don't usually tell others about that little anatomical anomaly. It causes immediate disorientation. The effect is temporary, but I've used it more than once to give myself a few seconds to make an escape."

"Red!" Lucas called out, having caught a glimpse of Hannah at the door. "Hey, Keta was just showing me some moves against batarians."

"So I heard," Hannah said, walking to the conference table and sitting down. So, her teammates were getting along. She wondered if Lucas had chewed on her advice and decided to act on it.

"I suppose I shouldn't be betraying my own species," Keta said, sitting down at the table across from Hannah. "But they've betrayed _me_ enough, I don't care who knows how to take them down."

"So, what brought this on?" Hannah asked as Lucas sat down in front of his computer.

"I asked Keta to describe Omega. We got talking about its gangs. The Blue Suns hire a lot of batarians."

"What _should_ we expect on Omega?" Hannah asked, addressing Keta.

"Well, if we're lucky, we'll just receive a cold shoulder as a welcome," Keta said, scratching her scar. "I'll be fine. I've been there a lot. But you two," Keta ran an eye over each of her teammates, "you look too squeaky clean."

Lucas sat up straight in his chair. "So what do we do about that? We can't change who we are."

"But you _can_ change your appearance. You look like typical Alliance Navy: every hair in place, clothes pressed and clean, like you're ready to step on board ship any minute. I can always tell Alliance personnel from miles away." Keta shook her head. She obviously held the opinion that the human Alliance was naïve in a big galaxy. Hannah guessed that was understandable considering Keta could get past Alliance security and sniff out its people instantly.

"How should we change?" Hannah asked Keta.

"Wear dark clothes that don't look like they were laundered yesterday. Let your hair down, Hannah. Lucas, mess it up a little. You want to step onto Omega and attract as little attention as possible, move under the radar so everyone leaves you alone." Keta paused for only a moment, then lifted a finger up as she remembered something. "But don't appear weak. Walk with confidence, like you're on a mission to blow someone's head off and if anyone gets in your way, you'll take theirs off in the process. Make people unconsciously aware they want to avoid you."

Hannah bit her lip. So this was going to take acting. She wasn't particularly good at that. She knew she marched around portraying the persona of an officer, rule oriented and duty focused. She couldn't help it. After thirty years in the military, her habits were ingrained.

"I think it might be best if when we get to Omega, you pose as our leader," Hannah recommended to Keta. "Walk ahead of us and we'll play your lackeys."

Keta nodded. "Good idea. If I can get people to pay attention to me, they'll be less likely to consider you two."

"But won't a batarian and a couple humans together make them suspicious?" Lucas asked.

"If we were in human space, yes," Keta agreed. "But on Omega, humans and batarians are often found together. Crime makes all species friends."

Hannah took a breath. "Alright. So we get down there, Keta you lead, then what?"

"We'll need to hope someone's using the signal," Lucas said.

"Okay, so we get down there and wait for the signal. Track it, then confront whoever is sending it."

"Lucas should make the first contact," Keta insisted, pointing to him.

"Why me?" Lucas asked, sounding nervous Keta had volunteered him.

"I'm still wanted by the Hegemony, and from what I hear, they've put a price on my head so large, any of the gangs would want to take me down. If I show my face to whoever hired me, they'll know who I am and a fight will begin immediately. Hannah's picture is on the extranet. Only an idiot wouldn't have researched Shepard if he intended to kill her. I'll assume my contact would also recognize her and be tipped off. You're not known by the contact at all. You approach them first, then we'll come in behind you."

"Okay," Lucas agreed, assenting to Keta's logic, but still not sounding entirely happy about it.

"Then we have a plan," Hannah said, leaning back in her chair.

"I have one more thing to add," Keta said.

"Yes?"

"You need better guns."

"What's wrong with our guns?" Lucas asked, pointing at the gun racks attached to the conference room walls.

"They're sufficient. Common Alliance issue. But they aren't mine. I've modified mine. You'll find them…powerful. I've brought enough along for all of us."

Hannah nodded. "Alright. Show us what you've got."

The next thirty minutes were spent as Hannah and Lucas took stock of the weapons Keta stored in a metal strongbox. Lucas, despite being offended at first by Keta's implication that Alliance weapons were inferior to hers, ended up praising Keta's homemade modifications. Lucas chose a particularly impressive shotgun to take along, while Hannah picked both a sniper rifle and a pistol. Keta wanted only her assault rifle.

When they'd finished oohing and aahing over Keta's arsenal, the waiting game began again. Lucas actually assented to play poker with Keta again, provided no credits were involved and she teach him what she knew. Hannah turned her attention to her data pad. Two new messages had showed up in her inbox, one from Steven, the other from Jane. Hannah read the one from Steven first.

_Commander Shepard, no news here. Status quo. Keep me updated if possible. Admiral Hackett._

So, none of Steven's "ears to the ground" had produced any results yet. Hannah had hoped he'd discover the mole himself and not need her to travel to Omega to smoke out who was after Jane. For now, her mission was still a go. Hannah next tapped the subject line of Jane's e-mail, "Thank You."

_Mom, I understand being out of touch. I wish I could connect with you more often. There have been so many times I could've used your advice. After my mission is over, we need to get together. There's a lot I want to tell you. I've been thinking recently how lucky I am to have a mom like you. I wanted to thank you for not being some crazed biotic trying to kill me. I know that sounds weird, it's a long story and I'll tell you someday when I get the chance. Jane. P.S. I don't think I told you yet, but the galaxy's a small place. I'm working with Lourdes' cousin's son. What a coincidence, huh?_

Hannah didn't quite get the "crazed biotic" part of the message, but she accepted the thanks from Jane regardless. She wondered if the son Jane mentioned was the prodigal biotic Lourdes had worried about over the years. Sounded like he'd finally decided on a career path in the Alliance military. Maybe she'd get to meet him someday when Jane had a moment to carve out of her busy schedule.

* * *

Hannah stood next to Pat in the cockpit, observing as he piloted the Agrippa into Omega. Hannah thought Omega looked like an alien jelly fish floating in a deep black sea. From the outside, it was unique and sublime, but she'd read enough about the inside to feel knots in her stomach tighten as they docked. She was used to having the upper hand, having powerful ship's weapons and marines at her command. When she stepped onto Omega, she'd have nothing but her guns, her wits and a couple companions to watch her back.

She met Lucas and Keta at the docking hatch. Pat would stay with the ship, ready to take off if they needed a quick getaway. Lucas looked funny to Hannah. His hair had been ruffled and he wore a pair of black pants and shirt, purposefully wrinkled. She knew she appeared quite the same, her red hair let loose and likewise wearing unassuming dark clothing. The only part of her outfit that felt familiar was the rocket necklace she refused to take off.

"Here, wear this," Keta said, handing Hannah a gray cape. "It'll be best if you conceal your face like me."

Hannah threw the cape around her shoulders, trusting Keta's judgment. It hung a little short on her as she was taller than the batarian, but when pulled forward, the hood hid her face adequately. Keta had donned her own brown cape, though she hadn't put on her mask. With the hood pulled forward, it covered her scar. Anyone walking past her would only sense a nondescript batarian somewhere inside the hood.

"Ready?" Hannah asked, her palms slightly sweaty in anticipation.

"Let's go," Lucas said.

Hannah punched the panel to open the hatch. Keta strode ahead, walking as if she owned the station, detached from her companions behind her, like she was a queen who didn't have to deign to acknowledge her entourage. Hannah and Lucas followed, trying to send out the message in their body language that they were people not to be messed with. As they ascended an elevator and stepped out onto Omega proper, Hannah marveled at how different this station was from any other she'd been on. It gave the impression of utter chaos. There was no symmetry in its design, just an amalgam of buildings, rooms and walkways. She wondered if anyone had created an accurate map of the place to help people get around. Probably not. Omega didn't seem to be a place that catered to its visitors. Here, you were completely on your own.

They passed a large club, music booming out, even through its closed entrance. There was a picture of dancing asari on the wall, advertising the pleasures of the club. Lucas sighed.

"Bet I won't get a chance to go in there," he muttered under his breath.

"I think here, Lucas, they'd eat you alive," Hannah mumbled back.

No one noticed the group of three as they walked along, for which Hannah was grateful. The selfishness of Omega played in their favor: no one had a moment or reason to worry about three unremarkable newcomers. Keta led her companions into a dim area of the station that Hannah postulated was an apartment complex as she glanced through open doors and beheld living areas and kitchens. Both aliens and humans were milling about, chatting in the hallways. Only a few spared a second to glance at the group as they walked passed. Keta stopped at a door, punched in a code and entered. They'd stepped into a one room apartment, a bed and sink in one corner, a small kitchen in another. Keta removed her cape and sat on the bed.

"My home away from home," she explained.

Hannah pulled back her hood. "You live here?" She gazed around the room. It hardly looked live in. It was sparse and simple.

"Not often. Only when needed. I haven't been back here in ages."

The only place to sit was the bed, so Hannah sat down next to Keta. Lucas leaned up against the wall across from the bed. "Waiting again."

"Yep," Keta said, laying back on the bed.

The wait this time, however, was short. Within twenty minutes of their arrival to Keta's apartment, her omni-tool beeped, another audio message coming in. Lucas was ready, his data pad synched to Keta's omni-tool so he could track the signal.

"La'ali."

"Shepard is on Feros."

"On my way."

"We're getting impatient."

"I'll get it done."

"You'd better."

The caller cut off. Lucas tapped on his data pad. "I've got a location. Three miles south of here."

"Let's go," Hannah commanded, heading towards the door. Now that they were so close to whoever was endangering her daughter, her mommy bear feelings had kicked in. She suddenly felt that all she wanted to do was find this person and rip him or her limb from limb.

* * *

The location of the signal led them to another living area, this one clearly more upscale, if such a description could be used in a place like Omega. The apartment Lucas pointed out had steps leading up to it. A small open area was laid out in front of it, turned into a makeshift lounge with crates and metal beams for seats. A vorcha and a krogan were sitting in the lounge area, conversing.

Keta pointed at a building on the other side of the lounge across from the apartment. "There's a roof there. Hannah and I can observe your approach from there."

Lucas nodded, rubbing his hands on his pants, clearly nervous that he had to be the first in.

"Just get whoever is in there to talk," Hannah said. "I'll be listening. If you need me, I'll come down and I'll have my gun trained at all times."

"Okay, Red, I'm entrusting my life to you."

Hannah and Keta made their way to the building across from the apartment, climbing up from the back, using ladders attached to its walls. When they were near the edge of the roof, they both crawled forward on their stomachs. Hannah had a good view of the lounge down below. The vorcha and krogan had left. Lucas was sitting on one of the crates, trying to look nonchalant. Hannah reached behind her back and unhooked her sniper rifle. She put her eye to the scope, training it on the apartment door. She spoke aloud.

"Go, Lucas."

Lucas stood up, making his way to the bottom of the steps to the apartment. He climbed them slowly. Hannah's heart thumped hard in her chest. If whoever was in there tried to hurt her friend, he'd find a bullet in his brain instantly. Lucas reached the door and pressed the panel outside it. Hannah breathed in and out slowly, concentrating, her gaze intent through the scope, waiting to see who would open the door.

After a couple seconds, the door opened and Hannah heard Lucas speak. "Hey, I need some help out here."

"Why?"

"Well, I…"

Hannah didn't hear Lucas' conversation. Her mouth had fallen open. It wasn't the voice she had recognized, though it was familiar. She'd known who it was the moment the door to the apartment had slid back. Fury assaulted her mind and she thrust the sniper rifle into Keta's hands.

"Take it. Don't shoot unless I wave at you. If I go in, follow."

"What…"

Hannah didn't say anything else, ignoring Keta's confusion, her heart afire with rage. With jittery hands she climbed back down the ladders as fast as she could. Once at the bottom, she stalked across the lounge, reaching the stairs to the apartment and taking the steps two at a time. She pushed in front of Lucas, grabbing the young man in his mid-twenties who stood in front of Lucas by the collar and slamming him back into the apartment, pinning him against a wall.

"Hannah?" the young man, asked, surprise etched all over his face. "What are you doing here?"

Hannah drew her pistol and placed it against the young man's head. "You'd better start talking, Jules, before your mother loses her only child."

Jules Maddock looked from Hannah to Lucas. Lucas had drawn his shotgun, pointing it at the young man in front of him, following Hannah's lead.

"What is your problem?" Jules asked, clearly confused.

"I can't believe you betrayed Jane like this. Why?"

"Oh, Jane. Look, it wasn't much. Just a little program."

Hannah's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"Why don't you explain?" Jules came back. "How do you even know about it?" Jules was suddenly distracted by someone at the door. "Get out!" he yelled.

Hannah heard the door slide shut and someone came to stand next to her. It was Keta, now holding her assault rifle, also trained on Jules.

"She's with me," Hannah said, informing Jules.

Jules stared at Hannah with disbelieving eyes. "You've taken up with batarians? You hired the Blue Suns to help take me out? Is that why you're here?"

Hannah stared at Jules, her anger rich, yet her mind still managing to maintain control over her actions. A year ago Maddock had lamented to her that Jules had gotten involved with the wrong group of friends and gone off the radar. Lourdes was worried sick not knowing where he was and what he was up to. She tried to read Jules' eyes. He was trying to portray confidence, but Hannah identified the real emotion behind his eyes: he was scared spitless. Hannah gathered her thoughts. For the sake of Maddock, she pulled her gun away from Jules' head, but still kept it aimed at him. "Sit over there," she pointed to a couch. "And let's talk."

"Fine," Jules said, walking slowly over to the couch, then sitting down and staring at the three beings in front of him with their guns trained on him. He rubbed his hands together nervously, glancing between Hannah and Lucas and Keta. When he looked at Keta, he snorted angrily.

"You can put the guns away. You don't need them to talk to me."

"I don't know if I can trust you," Hannah returned. Images of Jane and Jules as friends, chatting, playing games and enjoying each other's company came to mind. She couldn't believe Jules had turned on his good friend.

"How can I trust you with a batarian on your side?" Jules asked, pointing accusingly at Keta.

"I'm not with the Blue Suns. I'm Keta La'ali," Keta enlightened Jules.

Jules stared. "And that's supposed to mean something to me? I don't have batarian friends."

"I'm not your _friend_," Keta shot back. "I'm your hire."

"Huh?" Jules looked to Hannah. "What is going on?"

"You hired her to kill Jane, didn't you?" Hannah blurted out, her pistol shifting to target Jules' heart.

"What? No. Seriously, Hannah, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Admit the truth," Keta came back at Jules, "Or your brains are going to decorate the wall."

"I didn't!" Jules yelled out, raising his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I swear, I didn't!"

"Then what did you do?" Hannah asked, starting to doubt Jules had taken out the contract on Jane. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything _to her_," Jules insisted, pleading with Hannah. "I only wrote a small program, insignificant really."

"Explain."

Jules looked at each person in front of him in turn again, seemingly debating if he should say anything at all. "It's kind of secret."

"Tell me now, or I swear…" Hannah pulled slightly on the trigger of the pistol.

"Alright!" Jules cried out. "I wrote this program so they could follow the Normandy. You know, just tracking software."

"How did you get it on board?"

Jules rubbed his hands on his knees. "Well, I didn't. I just e-mailed Jane, to chat about the Normandy and its tech capabilities. Someone else got the program onboard once I wrote it."

"Is that person on the Normandy now?"

"I don't know. I don't even know who put it on the Normandy."

"Why did you do it?" Hannah demanded to know, considering Jules a traitor to her daughter, a traitor to the Alliance.

"They told me they just wanted to know what Jane was up to. Make sure she was looking after humanity's interests. They didn't want to kill Jane, just monitor her."

"Who is they?"

Jules shifted on the couch. "I'm not going to tell you that." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared unflinchingly at Hannah and her pistol as if he was ready to die to protect someone.

"Jules…"

"If I tell you, you'll start some witch hunt. I'm not turning you loose on my friends. Why do you think they want to kill Jane, anyway?"

"We tracked the signal sent to Keta," Lucas explained, his shotgun still aimed at Jules. "It came from this apartment."

"I didn't send any signal," Jules said, turning his eyes on Keta, narrowing them. "Did _she_ tell you that? She's lying. You're buying her lies."

Keta pointed accusingly at Jules. "_You're_ lying! They heard the calls."

"We did," Hannah confirmed, but doubt had grown in her mind. She didn't sense that Jules was lying; indeed, she felt he'd been upfront with her, entirely truthful. "Lucas, search the apartment for the source of the signal." Lucas lowered his shotgun and began to dig through Jules' belongings, starting in the living room.

"Hey, you have no right to…" Jules exclaimed, starting to stand up from the couch.

"Sit down!" Hannah commanded, stepping forward and raising her pistol, pointing it at his head again.

Jules sat still, but his eyes were angry, furious at Hannah's invasion into his apartment. As Lucas hunted, Hannah continued her interrogation.

"Why are you here, on Omega?" Hannah asked.

Jules glanced at Keta, then turned back to Hannah. "I have my own reasons. It's none of your business."

"Jules, someone wants to kill Jane. Tell me who you're involved with."

"_None_ of my friends would kill her!" Jules declared.

Hannah breathed in and out quickly, frustrated with Jules' stubborn refusal to tell her what was going on. She decided to try a different tack.

"Your mom and dad have worried sick over you. They don't know where you are, what you're doing, if you're in danger."

Jules shifted again, obviously uncomfortable with Hannah's change in approach. "They wouldn't understand," he said quietly. "They never did."

"Tell me. Explain it to me."

Jules looked at Hannah, clearly exasperated, but his voice calm. "If I did tell you, you wouldn't understand it either."

"Try me."

Jules didn't answer, just looked away. Hannah gave him a minute to think. She was about to ask him again, when Lucas tromped back into the living room. He walked right up to Jules and dumped a tiny metal box into his lap. Jules held it up, examining it.

"You're a patsy, kid," Lucas said. He'd clipped his shotgun to his back, obviously viewing Jules as a non-threat. Hannah lowered her pistol, but kept it in her hand. She nodded at Keta, who dropped her assault rifle.

Jules shook his head. "It…they wouldn't do this to me."

"What is it?" Hannah asked.

Lucas pressed his lips together. "This kid didn't call Keta. The call was routed to this apartment, disguising the location. It's sophisticated. He's innocent."

"Your friends aren't your friends, Jules," Hannah said, putting her hands on her hips. "They set you up. They used your relationship with Jane to get close to her. You're a tool."

Jules stared uncertainly at the metal box. "They wouldn't…" he said again.

Hannah felt sudden sympathy for the young man she'd known since he was a teen. He'd been had and hadn't seen it coming. "They aren't worth your loyalty."

Jules set the box on the coffee table. "They can't all be bad. I don't believe it. They aren't all like this."

"Who is they?" Hannah asked again, hoping Jules would finally divulge who he was involved with now that it was obvious they'd used him.

"I can't…"

"They're trying to kill Jane! They hired Keta to assassinate her!" Hannah had leaned forward, her voice loud and angry. "Do you want her to die? Are you going to wait until you hear on the news she's dead before you say anything?"

Jules put a hand to his mouth, eyes hurt and scared. "I don't want Jane to die," he said finally.

"Then tell us who you're working for!" Hannah cried out. "Please, Jules, please."

Jules stared at Hannah again, then took a deep breath. "Terra Firma."

Terra Firma, the anti-alien political party, Hannah thought to herself. What had Jane done to piss them off? "Why would they…"

"I don't know!" Jules interrupted loudly. "They're not like that. They're just trying to protect humanity. We're surrounded by alien influence infiltrating Earth. They just wanted to watch Jane, make sure being a Spectre didn't cause her to go against humanity. That's all."

"All they told you," Lucas said, sitting down on the arm of the couch.

"Hannah," Jules said, looking at her with pleading eyes, "They're my friends. I don't know who planted that thing here," he pointed at the little metal box on the coffee table. "I'm sure most of them are good people…"

"What would they do if they thought Jane's actions _did_ go against humanity?" Hannah speculated.

Jules sucked in his lips. "They wouldn't kill her."

"Someone would," Keta said. "The fact remains I _was_ hired and the calls that tell me where Shepard is and what she's doing come from this apartment."

Hannah spoke in a low voice. "I want names."

"No," Jules answered immediately.

"Jules…"

"I'm not going to get innocent people arrested. I don't believe they're all in this. They aren't."

"Then who might be?"

"I don't know," Jules admitted. "I don't know all those involved in the underground."

"Underground?"

Jules shook his head. "I shouldn't be telling you any of this, I took an oath."

"If you don't, Jane may die."

Jules sighed. "Terra Firma has a public face and a…not so public one. They just want to be able to gather information without interference, make sure they know what's going on in the galaxy. There are various cells all around the galaxy, you know, just listening, assessing the threats to humanity."

"And you're part of one of these cells?"

"Yeah," Jules confessed. "Omega's a great place to keep tabs on aliens. But, recently, some of the cells went rogue."

Hannah became intently interested in this part of Jules' explanation. She sat down in a chair across from the couch. "Yes?"

"Well," Jules said, leaning forward with his arms on his knees. "Just, some of the members didn't think Terra Firma was taking a bold enough stance in the Parliament, that things weren't moving fast enough to protect humanity's interests."

"So one of these cells might be after Jane?"

"Maybe. But I don't understand why."

"Who are the rogue leaders?" Hannah asked.

Jules shrugged. "I don't know. One of the ways we protect the cells is by using pseudonyms. I've had a lot of people in this apartment, but I can't tell you half their names."

Hannah pushed herself into the back of the chair. This mission had just become way more complicated. "Lucas, can you track the signal from that box?"

Lucas shook his head. "I don't think so. I did some scanning with my omni-tool. The programming on this thing erases the incoming signal as it broadcasts."

Hannah sighed in frustration. "So we can't figure out who's behind this."

"Maybe we can," Keta said thoughtfully.

Hannah looked to her friend. "How?"

"I know someone who might have the information we need, but we'll have to be careful."

"Who is it?"

"An agent of the Shadow Broker, here on Omega."

"The Shadow Broker…" Hannah echoed Keta, remembering what Lucas had told her about this mysterious individual or group. If this person or group traded in secret information, maybe they _would_ know the location of Terra Firma's underground cells.

"So…how can this agent help?"

Keta smiled wickedly. "He won't help willingly. He won't compromise his relationship with the Shadow Broker by giving us information for free and we _don't_ have the credits to pay him. But he _does_ keep a copy of everything he sends the Broker, a back-up just in case he has to cover his own ass some day."

"Does he use the Broker's encryption?" Lucas asked. "If he does, we're still sunk. No one's been able to break that, not even the top Alliance hackers."

"He does use it," Keta conceded.

"I could break it," Jules said softly.

"You? I've been doing this for a long time, boy. If I can't do it, you certainly can't."

"I bet I've been hacking about as long as you have," Jules defended his skills. Lucas laughed and Jules glared at him angrily.

Hannah remembered Jules' run-ins with Arcturus Station security over his hacking into their systems. "He's skilled," she said to Lucas, who raised his eyebrows at her doubtfully.

"Will you hack this agent?" Hannah asked Jules.

Jules seemed to debate within himself for a few seconds, then slowly nodded. "I don't want anyone to kill Jane. And I want to know who set me up. But more than that, I want to clear my friends. I know my friends aren't involved in this."

"We'll see," Lucas muttered, causing the ire of Jules to be turned on him again through a furious look.

"Let's find this agent," Hannah said.

Keta pointed a slender finger at Jules. "I don't know if I trust him. Maybe he's setting us up."

Jules scowled at Keta furiously, folding his arms over his chest.

Hannah had to admit she _was_ still a little wary. "If he tries something, we have our weapons." She paused to send Jules a pointed look. "And I _will_ use my pistol if I have to."

Jules shook his head at Hannah. "You never knew me, did you? You lived with my family for four years and you never knew me. You can trust me."

Hannah immediately felt offended by Jules' declaration, but part of her knew he was right. She'd never taken the time to get to know him. He'd been a person of little consequence to her. He was Jane's project and not hers. She wondered now what she had missed by not paying more attention to Jules over the years.


	24. Agent

Hannah sat contemplatively at Jules' kitchen table, gazing into the living room. Lucas and Jules were sitting on the couch, talking encryption codes and how to break them. Keta occupied the chair across from the couch, her assault rifle in her lap, staring at Jules, obviously guarding someone she still considered untrustworthy. Hannah had excused herself, wanting privacy to send a few messages. They had already decided on a plan. It turned out Keta knew the Shadow Broker's agent on Omega, Jeparn, because she'd had a previous relationship with him. Hannah got the impression Keta hadn't really loved the salarian, but had simply put up a front so she could pump him for information. They had "broken up" after one of Keta's missions four years ago. Keta noted that Jeparn wasn't entirely pleased with her, but still accepted her credits now and then when she needed tidbits of information. Keta thought it would be a simple matter for her to arrange a meeting with Jeparn. She'd lure him away from his home and then Hannah, Lucas and Jules would break into his apartment and peruse his data files.

The plan sounded so easy, yet Hannah was on edge. She glanced down at her data pad on the table, trying to wade through her jumbled thoughts. She didn't know who to contact and what to say. Jules, although pointing them in the right direction, wasn't exactly a fount of knowledge regarding Terra Firma and its interest in Jane. Hannah had read between the lines and determined that Terra Firma had purposely left Jules out of the loop, wanting to use him as a tool and nothing more. For this reason, she still didn't know if anyone on board Jane's ship was an underground Terra Firma agent or if Jane herself had been implanted with a bug. She _still_ couldn't contact Jane and that made her uneasy and frustrated.

She next considered writing Maddock to tell him she'd found his boy and he needed to get to Omega ASAP. But she relinquished that idea when she realized sending that message would give away her own location. It would be entirely strange for Commander Shepard of the Kilimanjaro to be hanging out in a well-known criminal paradise. She didn't seriously think anyone was monitoring Maddock's mail, but still, the more people who knew where she was the more likely her mission would be found out, even if someone just made a comment accidentally (for example, Lourdes, who she knew wasn't exactly great at keeping secrets). So Hannah abandoned her thought to contact Maddock and instead vowed she'd tell him about Jules as soon as she was able.

Lastly, she _did_ need to send a message to Steven. She wondered if his staff had also been infiltrated by Terra Firma's agents. Maybe, but at least Steven knew what she was up to and she could be discreet in her wording and inform him of her progress. She pulled up the screen to compose her e-mail.

_Admiral Hackett, progress is being made. I'm currently following a lead. I'll let you know when I need you. Commander Shepard._

As Hannah pressed send, she hoped her message was short and sweet enough not to raise any suspicious eyebrows on Arcturus. Hannah looked up when she heard footsteps come into the kitchen. Jules had entered, glancing at her for a moment, then grabbing a glass and filling it with some water at the sink.

"You want anything?" he asked quietly.

Hannah shook her head. Jules took a sip of his water and made to move back into the living room, when Hannah stopped him with her voice.

"Jules, why don't you have a seat here?"

Jules narrowed his eyes uncertainly. "Why?"

"Just to talk."

Jules drew in a long breath. "I don't need a lecture."

"I'm not going to lecture you, I promise."

Jules slowly pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat down.

"I'm disappointed in you," Hannah started.

Jules plunked his glass on the table. "I thought this wasn't a lecture," he admonished.

"I don't want to tell you how to run your life, I just want to know why you would do this to Jane. She's your friend."

"She _used_ to be," Jules said. "I don't want to be mean, but Jane pretty much dumped me once she graduated. I don't see her and I hardly communicate with her. It's like we never were friends at all."

Hannah read the hurt in Jules' brown eyes and found she could actually sympathize. "That happened to me, too, and I'm her mother," Hannah said. "Things change over time. People get involved elsewhere and you don't see them for a long time, maybe never again. But that doesn't mean you lose them as friends. Look at your dad and me."

Jules grunted, apparently disagreeing with Hannah's statement. There was a moment of silence and then he stared fixedly across the table at Hannah. "I may not be friends with Jane anymore, but that doesn't mean I would turn on her. I didn't write that program for the Normandy to get her in trouble, but to protect her from herself. Jane's just never understood what a danger aliens are to humanity. She always loved them too much."

As Hannah considered how to handle the prejudice Jules displayed, her mind recalled a memory from long ago when Jane had asked her if she hated batarians. "Jane understands aliens are individuals, just like humans. Some are good and some are bad. She's seeking to be friends with the good and defend the galaxy from the bad, human and alien alike."

Jules snorted disdainfully. "But you can't always tell which is which. Aliens are slippery, seeking to advance their own causes all the time. They'd sell humanity out in a heartbeat if it was to their advantage." Jules shook his head. "The only way humanity can make it in the galaxy is to stand on its own, to look after its own interests and to do so we need to steer clear of alien influence."

Hannah sighed, sensing she'd never get through to the young man in front of her. "I think you've been on Omega too long if that's your only view of aliens," she commented quietly.

"Yeah, and you haven't been here enough," Jules came back. "This place proves that aliens work with humans until they don't need them anymore; then they throw them to the wind."

"Isn't that what Terra Firma's done to you?" Hannah questioned.

Jules twisted his lips and took another sip of water from his glass. "No. I'm sure it's a rogue cell that's done this. _My_ friends aren't behind this."

Hannah leaned back in her chair, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, she hoped Jules was right, that it would turn out his friends were in the clear. On the other hand, she hoped his friends _were _involved so Jules would suffer the consequences of his arrogance.

"We'll see," Hannah said.

"Yes, we will," Jules declared, standing up from the table and moving back into the living room to talk with Lucas, sending Keta a look of contempt as he passed by her.

* * *

Keta left Jules' apartment first to keep her meeting with Jeparn. The salarian had willingly agreed to meet her, especially because Keta's message had been laced with seductive overtones. In five minutes time, Hannah, Lucas and Jules were to leave the apartment and head to Jeparn's dwelling, Keta having drawn a crude map that would lead them there. She'd also informed them that Jeparn kept his data files in a wall safe behind a picture in his bedroom. They'd have to break in through the door, then into the safe, _then_ work on the data files.

Lucas replaced the tiny metal router, putting it back in the vent where he'd found it in Jules' bedroom. The fact that it had been found in his bedroom seemed to make Jules all the more uncomfortable. Hannah guessed not many of his friends went in there.

When five minutes had ticked by, they left the apartment. Lucas and Jules walked in front of Hannah, who insisted on taking up the rear to keep watch over her two charges. Actually, she still didn't entirely trust Jules and wanted to make sure he didn't alert someone to their mission.

The trek to Jeparn's apartment took about ten minutes time. Luckily, his home was hidden away at the back of another complex of apartments where no one loitered. Lucas hacked the door in no time and the group of three entered. Hannah whistled. The apartment was impressive, large and luxurious. Apparently working for the Shadow Broker was a lucrative business. Jeparn had gathered the cushiest furniture and amenities available to him and the work of several well known artists covered his walls.

"He lives well, doesn't he?" Lucas replied to Hannah's whistle.

"Better than on an Alliance Navy salary, that's for sure," she replied. "Let's get to it."

They found the bedroom, also sizeable and extravagant. The hide of some unknown animal decorated the bed and salarian artifacts filled the shelves of the room. Hannah pointed at the picture over the bed and couldn't help but smile humorously. It was just what Keta described: Jeparn stared out from the middle of the picture, an enormous, goofy grin on his face, surrounded by Asari maidens wearing almost nothing. Hannah concluded Jeparn must have a high opinion of himself to make that picture the center of his bedroom.

Lucas climbed onto the bed and lifted the picture off the wall, then began to work on the safe behind it with his omni-tool. "Wow. He's done a good job protecting this," Lucas commented after a couple minutes trying to crack it. "Keta was right. He's got it set up to send him a signal if someone breaks in. It'll take me a few more minutes to bypass his security." Hannah paced back and forth in the room, visibly impatient. Jules stood to the side, his manner calm, but his face apprehensive.

Finally, Lucas called out "Tada!" and the safe swung open. He reached in and pulled out three data drives. "These are old school."

"Jules…" Hannah started to say.

"I can handle them," Jules interrupted, taking the set of data drives from Lucas. He sat down at a side table next to Jeparn's bed, pulling out a small handheld device from his pocket. He plugged one of the data drives in and began to tap all over the screen of the device he held.

"What is that?" Hannah asked, looking to Lucas. Lucas shrugged.

"Something I made from scratch," Jules told her, not looking up. "Omni-tools can access remote storage, but if you don't want to risk someone breaking into your servers and gaining unlimited access, lots of people still use encrypted data drives." Lucas opened his mouth to respond but had hardly managed a syllable when Jules spoke again. "I work best if everyone keeps quiet."

Hannah resumed her pacing, trying to be patient. After a few minutes, Jules laughed. "The Shadow Broker thinks _this_ encryption is good? It's child's play."

Lucas frowned, evidently upset he'd been shown up by a young kid in his twenties. "You broke it?"

"Not yet. But it's not that amazing. Please tell me this is only the encryption he gives to his lackeys. If he's protecting his own servers with this, he's vulnerable."

Jules kept working. Hannah flipped on her omni-tool. Keta had told her she'd keep Jeparn occupied as long as possible. She'd been gone for thirty minutes now. Hannah hoped her acting skills were keeping the salarian completely engaged.

"There. I've got it," Jules said.

"Can you copy the data files?"

"I have a lot of space in this thing," Jules said, pointing at his device, "But not enough for all of them."

"Alright, make a search for anything involving Terra Firma and Jane."

Jules went back to tapping on the device. Several minutes went by. Jules plugged in the second drive. As he skimmed it, his eyebrows rose and fell as he reacted to the data he was reading. Hannah wondered how much he was learning about the organization he had gotten involved with. The longer Jules read the data, the more agitated he became.

"I have some…no…no…"

Hannah walked over to Jules and snatched the device from his hands, wanting to know what he had found. An e-mail message was on the screen.

_Athena, we've found a batarian to carry out the kill. The Spectre's death is assured. Make sure you secure the router, then report to me. Orion._

Hannah looked to Jules. His eyes were closed and, surprisingly, his lashes were wet. "Who are they?"

Jules put his head in his hands. "They're code names. I don't know who Orion is. Athena is…my girlfriend."

Hannah found that she wasn't half as satisfied as she thought she'd be now that Jules had been proved wrong to trust his friends. Actually, she felt sorry for him.

"I'm sorry," she said gently.

Lucas wasn't as kind. "She used you, kid. You meant nothing to her."

Jules didn't look up. "There's more," he whispered.

Hannah scrolled down the page, reading another message: _Zeus, Athena's completed her mission. You can contact the batarian. I'll meet you on Mount Olympus as soon as possible. Orion._

One more message followed: _Orion, you've done well. Humanity is blessed to be in your hands. Soon, human space will be cleansed. Find me at the usual place on Mount Olympus. Zeus. P.S. Tell Athena she can join me on Olympus._

"Mount Olympus?" Hannah questioned.

"The Citadel," Jules muttered.

"So, we're headed back to the heart of galactic politics," Hannah mused. "You're coming with us, Jules."

Jules looked up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm staying here. I don't want to see her and…"

"Stop acting like a child," Hannah spoke harshly. "You've gotten yourself into a mess. Now act like a man and get yourself out!"

Jules folded his arms over his chest, but didn't retaliate, just looked away uneasily.

"You know what 'Athena' looks like. We need you to come with us to the Citadel," Hannah explained in a gentler tone.

A sudden insistent beeping filled the room. Hannah tapped her omni-tool, turning it off and eliminating the sound. "Jeparn's on his way back," she declared, Keta having sent the signal that warned them it was time to get out.

"Did you copy the files?" Hannah asked Jules.

"Yeah," he spoke glumly. Hannah grabbed the data drives off the table and handed them to Lucas who set them back in the safe, then sealed it and rearmed the alarm with his omni-tool. The threesome headed back down the hall into the living room and slipped out of the apartment, making sure no one was lollygagging in the hallway to observe their departure.

* * *

They made their way back to Jules' apartment. When they arrived, they found Keta inside, much to Jules' chagrin who didn't like that she had gotten in through his locked door. Hannah ordered Jules to pack a bag and was glad when he didn't argue, but drifted slowly into his bedroom. While he packed, Keta, Hannah and Lucas swapped stories. Hannah informed the batarian her hire was most likely on the Citadel, a fact that both worried and relieved Keta. She realized she'd be going back to a station she was effectively banned from, not exactly a place she was comfortable being. At the same time, she knew it like the back of her hand, asserting this fact would make finding her contact all the easier.

Keta then regaled Hannah and Lucas concerning her encounter with Jeparn, laughing at how effortlessly she had led him on. She'd toyed with him, claiming she only came for info, then alluding to the fact she still had feelings for him. The meeting had ended when she agreed to come by Jeparn's apartment later that evening. Of course, Keta noted, she'd be long gone by then.

Jules came back into the living room, his eyes red. Hannah once again pitied the poor boy, used and tossed away by a girl he'd loved, but heartened that he had decided to act like a man and come with them to see what he'd started through. Hannah stood up, ready to exit the door when Keta's omni-tool beeped.

"What is it?" Hannah asked.

Keta laughed. "A recorded audio message from Jeparn. This'll be fun. Full of sweet nothings and promises he doesn't intend to keep." She played the message aloud for all to hear, but what Jeparn said didn't cause anyone to laugh.

"Keta," Jeparn's staccato voice spoke into the room. "I didn't think you'd come all the way to Omega just to see me. You've always been too devious for your own good. You think I learned nothing from our encounter on Dagnes? You were good, I'll give you that. I didn't receive any warning while I was with you." There was a pause and everyone in the living room eyed each other uncomfortably. "I see you've taken up with humans. I'm watching my security camera feedback right now. A man, a boy and a woman. I recognize the boy. Why you've hired these humans, I have no idea. I'm not certain why you want my files, either. I assume for your own gain, selling the info for yourself." There was another pause. Hannah put her hand to her neck, listening intently. "Anyway, I thought, for old time's sake, I'd give you a chance to make it off this station. I called the Blue Suns. They'd love to turn you in, dead or alive, and receive the bounty on your beautiful head. They're looking for you. Do what you can, my dear. If I never see you again, I'll look for you in the next life. Jeparn out."

Keta angrily shut down her omni-tool. "That _he'jas_, that…" She started raging around the room, cursing and yelling. Hannah's translator went dead, unable to translate whatever Keta was saying in her batarian language.

Jules chuckled. "I see I'm not the only one who's been had."

Keta reached behind her back in a flash and pulled out her assault rifle, leveling it at Jules.

"Keta!" Hannah called out, stepping in front of Jules. "Put it away!"

Keta's chest moved in and out rapidly, but she obeyed after a moment, lowering the rifle and clipping it behind her back again. "We need to get out of here _now_," she spoke in a low and dangerous voice.

"I agree. Let's go." Hannah pulled the hood of her cape back over her head. Keta did the same with hers. They stood in front of the door, ready to exit. Hannah prayed they'd make it back to the ship without being gunned down first.

* * *

As they exited Jules' apartment, Hannah wondered how much a head start Jeparn had given them. She didn't have long to find out. Within five minutes of leaving the apartment, Hannah became aware of a contingent of approximately ten armored bodies following several meters behind them. They were a mixed group, two humans, three turians and the rest batarians. Hannah's heart beat quickly. The group was taking its time, not making a move, presumably waiting for an opportune moment. She turned her head to glance at Keta and Lucas. Both nodded to her, confirming their awareness that they were being followed. Jules didn't turn his head, but kept walking quickly, his hands shaking. How he'd managed to live on Omega and not be eaten alive was beyond Hannah's comprehension. He must have kept a very low profile.

They passed the club with the booming music. Hannah was certain the group behind them wouldn't attack here, not in front of the club. Omega might be lawless, but she figured whoever was in control wouldn't take kindly to the station being shot up in the open. The only place that made sense to launch the attack was the elevator down to the hatch where the Agrippa was docked. A narrow hallway led to the elevator and afforded little place to hide, making it the logical choice. Hannah pulled behind her three companions. As they neared the narrow hallway, she called out suddenly, "Run!"

She watched Keta and Lucas sprint down the hall, unhooking their guns as they did so. Jules hurried right behind them, defenseless and desperate to take cover. Hannah knew putting herself in the back meant she was a prime target, but she'd wanted to be the first to fire her gun, giving her team time to cover themselves. In a split second, she had her pistol in her hand and had turned back while running, sending a spray of projectiles into the group that was now breathing down their necks as she pulled the trigger repeatedly.

None of the Blue Suns went down, but they were taken by surprise, trying to shield themselves more than fire back at first. However, they armed themselves in no time. Lucas and Keta had hunched behind a couple crates, each of them across the hall from one another. Jules was hunkered down next to Lucas, his hands covering his ears.

Hannah slid in next to Keta. The next several minutes consisted of shoot and cover movements. The Blues Suns had come prepared, erecting several kinetic barriers within seconds. After a while, Hannah cried out to Lucas.

"We won't be able to take them out, not at this rate. We're going to have to make a run for it."

Lucas nodded at her. "Tell me when!"

Keta nudged Hannah's arm. "This will help." She held out a lift grenade.

"And _why_ didn't you mention this sooner?"

"It's the only one I have," Keta explained, a smile on her face. "I was reserving it for the right moment."

"Well this is it," Hannah affirmed. She looked to Lucas and pointed to Keta, who held up the grenade. He nodded, understanding that they would rush for the elevator the moment the grenade was thrown. Hannah held up her hand, lifting her fingers to count to five. When her thumb went up, Keta lobbed the grenade over the crate.

No one paused to watch the results. All four took off running towards the elevator immediately. As they closed in on the elevator, Hannah counted their number. They were one short. Looking back, she saw Keta limping behind them, clearly wounded. Three of the Blue Suns were already recovering, grabbing their guns and pushing themselves up off the floor.

"Keta!" Hannah yelled down the hall.

One of the Blue Suns, a batarian, regained his equilibrium faster than his other companions. He began to move down the hall with astonishing speed. In but a moment, he'd be on Keta and have her in his grasp.

Hannah saw a blur surge passed her. Lucas charged back down the hall, reaching Keta in seconds. He lifted her, throwing her over his shoulder. As he turned, Hannah heard the rat-a-tat of Keta's assault rifle as she fired while Lucas carried her. The batarian tried to dodge the projectiles that pinged his armor, but he suddenly dropped, one of them striking home, ripping through his left cheek. He cried out in pain.

Lucas had reached the elevator which was just now opening. He was about to step in, when he faltered and fell to the ground, Keta rolling off his shoulder and into the elevator. A knot tightened in Hannah's stomach as she perceived the back of Lucas' black shirt becoming darker with blood. He groaned, pulling himself forward into the elevator.

"Help me!" Hannah called out to Jules.

With Jules help, Hannah managed to pull Lucas into the elevator. As the door began to shut, Hannah yanked her sniper rifle off her back and fired, striking the batarian who had shot Lucas dead in the forehead. As the elevator descended, Hannah knelt down.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah," he moaned.

"Hang in there."

"I'm trying, Red," he muttered, his voice faint.

"Keta?"

"I'll be fine," the batarian spoke through gritted teeth. Her lower right pant leg also boasted the stain of blood.

Hannah activated her omni-tool, tapping quickly. "Pat! We're coming in. We've got wounded and we need to get out of here ASAP."

"Yes, ma'am," she heard Pat's rough voice answer excitedly.

When the elevator opened, Hannah helped Lucas stand. He leaned on her, moving at a snail's pace. Keta limped alone, Jules refusing to aid the batarian. Hannah felt it took hours to get to the Agrippa's docking hatch, but it was only a few seconds.

Once they were on board, Hannah instructed Jules to get Lucas back to medical and Keta to follow them. Lucas had gone as white as a sheet, and Hannah feared the worst. As he'd leaned on her, she'd felt the back of his shirt, completely soaked in blood.

Hannah bolted into the cockpit. Pat was sitting at the controls, his hands moving rapidly.

"They won't give us clearance," he reported.

"We need to…"

"I got it, Commander. They can't keep Pat Morales from flying outta here." The Agrippa began to move, Pat ignoring the angry shouts from docking control. As he pulled away, he had to dodge a couple ships, but he deftly moved passed them safely. When they were out in open space, he headed immediately for the relay.

"I don't think we need to wait in the queue," he muttered, passing ship after ship waiting to use the relay.

An angry voice spoke out over the comm. "SSV Agrippa. Stand down. I repeat, stand down. We have a ship ready to pass through the relay. Stand down now."

Pat tapped a button on his console. "You'd better get the heck out of our way! We're coming through!"

Hannah watched breathlessly as Pat maneuvered to the relay, shooting passed the turian ship ready to jump through the relay. The energy of the relay caught the Agrippa and sent it sailing through, depositing it light years away in the Crescent Nebula.

Pat whooped and laughed, pushing back in his seat. "This beats shuffleboard!" he cried out, then looked to her. "Where to, Commander?"

Hannah's hand was over her heart, thankful she was alive, making it through both the firefight on the station and the close call with the turian ship. "Citadel," she commanded, her voice shaking.

"Hannah," she heard a voice in her ear.

"Jules?"

"You'd better come. Your friend's hurt bad."

Hannah turned on her heel, leaving Pat on his own. As she walked through the conference room she spoke to herself, willing Lucas to live: _I'm _not_ losing Lucas. I won't lose him. I refuse to lose anyone else for the rest of my life!_


	25. Athena

Fortunately, Lucas' wound wasn't as dire as Jules made out. Hannah forgave the young man, assuming he hadn't ever assessed damage caused by enemy projectiles. The wound wasn't insignificant, but the medi-gel Jules had slathered on Lucas' back was doing its job, sealing the injury and aiding the healing process. Lucas moaned when Hannah gently applied an antiseptic cloth to his back, wiping away the blood that still surrounded the area where he'd taken a hit.

"Oh, please," Hannah razzed, "You're such a big baby, Lucas."

Lucas braced his hands against the bed he sat on. "You aren't the one who got shot in the back, Red. You want to be the one who gets it next time, I'm all for that."

Hannah chuckled, glad her friend's humor was still intact. She knew if the projectile had penetrated deeper, Lucas might not be sitting in front of her. She was thankful she hadn't lost a member of her team, not yet. She vowed to be more careful in the future. She hadn't considered Jeparn would have security cameras hidden in his apartment. She should have told Lucas to check out the possibility before they ever entered. She cursed her foolishness silently.

Hannah finished cleaning Lucas up, then turned to Keta, sitting on the other bed in the room, having already applied medi-gel to her leg by herself. Her pant leg was rolled up to the knee and she leaned over inspecting her wound, her good leg pulled up to her chest, elbow resting on the knee, chin cupped in her hand. Hannah worried she might have a concussion, as her eyes appeared glazed over.

"Are you alright?" Hannah asked, standing next to her bed.

Keta's eyes focused as she came out of her reverie. "Fine. I'm fine…If I ever seen Jeparn again, he's dead."

Hannah smiled with half her mouth. Knowing Keta, she didn't doubt the truth of that statement.

"Well, now that we've averted crisis for the moment, we're headed to the Citadel. Pat tells me it could take half a day to get there, but he's going to fly as quickly as possible." She looked to Jules. "We need to find a place for you to bunk." Hannah paused; there wasn't room for Jules with Pat and Lucas. He certainly _wasn't_ going to agree to share with Keta. "Keta," Hannah continued, "any objections to moving into my room and Jules can take yours?"

"None," Keta said, though she shot Jules an angry glare which the young man returned. Hannah sighed inside. She was too tired to deal with the mutual hate Jules and Keta blatantly displayed. For the moment, she decided not to confront them.

"Good. Jules, let me show you your quarters. You two," Hannah said, pointing at Lucas and Keta in turn, "Get some rest."

She exited medical, Jules following her. She showed him the room that would be his, then asked him to accompany her to the conference room. She wanted to determine what would go down once they were on the Citadel. Jules slumped into a chair at the conference table, his face downcast.

"So, tell me about Athena," Hannah began gently. "What's her real name?"

Jules took a breath, opened his mouth, then closed it. He put a hand to his head. "I don't think I should tell you that."

"Are you kidding me?" Hannah exclaimed. "She set you up, used you at the direction of this Orion and Zeus, and you _still_ don't want to turn her in?"

"Well," Jules rationalized weakly, "I've been thinking. Maybe they made her do it. Maybe they set her up, too, and she didn't know what she was really doing."

Hannah let loose an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Jules, you think she made a mistake? Seems to me those e-mails show she's in tight with Orion and Zeus."

"It's just, I know her," Jules defended his girlfriend, now looking straight at Hannah. "I know her intimately and she…well, she wouldn't do this to me."

Hannah now shook her head. "You said I didn't know you? Did you ever consider I _do_ know you? Maybe you should listen to me, Jules. You're a smart young man, more intelligent and gifted than a lot of people I know. But you just aren't socially savvy. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. You can't read people well."

Jules didn't get angry, but pushed back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. "Maybe I've changed."

_Ah, _Hannah thought, _then he _does_ know his weakness. _Aloud she said, "Or maybe you've put your loyalty in the wrong place. You trusted the wrong people."

Jules contemplated Hannah's words, staring off in the distance for a few seconds, his hands on his chin. "I won't give you her name, not yet." Hannah's eyes grew angry and she opened her mouth to argue, but Jules held up a hand. "Just let me talk to her first when we find her on the Citadel. Please? I came along with you, that should prove I want to help you, but I don't want her implicated in this if she's innocent."

Hannah sighed. "Okay." If that was the best she could get out of Jules, she'd take it for the time being.

"Now," Jules said, standing, "If you're done giving me the third degree, I'd like to be alone for a while."

"We're done," Hannah said, releasing Jules from the conversation. He left the conference room quickly. Hannah drew in a long breath. She pulled out her data pad and tabbed it on, not sure what to do now that she was utterly alone. The conference room was so quiet. She scanned the news, catching up with the goings on of the galaxy. There were several reports about apparent geth attacks on different planets. Most commentators thought the geth wanted to get back at organics, quarian or otherwise, for the way they'd been dealt with in the past. There were several conspiracy theorists, though, who postulated someone else was behind the geth and using them for their own purposes. Hannah was just glad she didn't have to worry about a geth attack on top of her current mission. It suddenly occurred to her that Jane might be deep in the middle of these geth attacks. However, another small tidbit of news seemed more promising regarding Jane. There was a report on a rogue Spectre, a turian called Saren, who was being sought by the Council. Maybe Jane was tracking this turian down?

Hannah pushed her chair back from the table and yawned, exhausted after the adrenaline caused by recent events had abated. Why did everyone go rogue? she wondered. Rogue Spectres and rogue Terra Firma cells. She guessed there would always be those who wanted the galaxy run their way. They wanted power and they'd seize it any way they could, even if it meant destroying others in the process. Hannah remembered Jane's desires to see a united galaxy. To Hannah's way of thinking, that dream was pie in the sky—it would never happen, though she was sure Jane would make a valiant effort.

Hannah decided to tap off a quick message to Steven, then retire to her room for the sleep she sorely needed. _Admiral Hackett, headed to the Citadel again. Let me know who's on my side. Commander Shepard._

Hannah's comm came alive with a voice in her ear.

"Hannah?"

Hannah recognized Keta's voice. "Yes?"

"I wanted to let you know they contacted me again."

"Are you in my room?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there in a moment. I was just getting up."

The comm went silent, Keta disconnecting. Hannah turned off her data pad, then stood up, carrying it with her as she exited the conference room and entered her quarters. Keta sat on one of the beds in the room, her back against the wall. Hannah sat down opposite the batarian on her own bed, sliding her data pad on a shelf next to the bed as she did so.

"What did they say?"

"Your daughter's moving back towards human space. She's fast. If I was trying to kill her, I probably _would_ have trouble catching up with her."

"Were they upset you hadn't killed her yet?"

"Yes, but I told them it couldn't be helped, that I was delayed by a fight with old enemies." Hannah nodded, acknowledging Keta's useful half-truth. "They're threatening me more. They want this done soon. Whatever plan they have, it must be contingent on your daughter dying."

Hannah narrowed her eyes. "So, you still think they want more than just Jane's death?"

"Definitely," Keta affirmed. "This is deeper than a simple assassination as I said before."

Hannah's chest rose as she breathed deeply. She once again regretted she wasn't skilled at spying. She felt entirely out of her element on this mission. "Well, we'll get to the Citadel and track these people down, then figure out what to do with them."

"Is there any doubt?" Keta asked.

Hannah tilted her head. "Keta, this is the Alliance. We don't just kill people like assassins. They get arrested and have to defend themselves in court."

Keta snorted. "Relying on bureaucratic red tape is a waste of time."

Hannah didn't like red tape, she never had. But she was loyal to the Alliance and she knew its laws existed for a purpose. If you just killed people outright without a chance to speak their piece, how many innocents would die? "In our culture, it's innocent until proven guilty—in a court of law."

Keta sighed, her defensiveness fading. "That sounds good, actually, I guess. It's the other way around with the Hegemony. They take out anyone they want to when they want to. And their 'courts' are a farce."

"So you understand why we have to take this slowly and do it right."

"I understand, but it's not in my nature," Keta answered. She lowered her head and put her hand on her forehead. Hannah perceived something else was troubling her greatly.

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked.

Keta looked up, then unexpectedly laughed. "I don't know why I feel I can tell you things. I don't tell anyone anything, yet with you, it's like we've been friends since childhood."

Hannah smiled. "Maybe it's just that I care, and you aren't used to that."

Keta nodded thoughtfully.

"So what's bothering you?"

Keta breathed slowly. "I'm not used to…" she paused, her eyes wandering, searching for the right word, "…loyalty either."

"That makes sense," Hannah said, wondering what had caused Keta to consider the lack of loyalty in her life. "But you're loyal to me, for which I'm grateful. I mean, you didn't kill my daughter. How much did they offer you anyway?"

Keta grinned. "Three million credits."

"Three million?!" Hannah sucked in a breath. Terra Firma, or its rogue cells, must want Jane's death badly.

"I'm loyal to you," Keta went on, addressing Hannah's original statement, "because the day I saw you punch Balak was the happiest day of my life."

Hannah now grinned, remembering the punch and Balak's astonishment that a human woman had laid one on him. "If you hate him so much, I'm surprised you haven't killed him by now."

"Oh, it's not that I haven't thought of it…" Keta replied, crossing her arms and hugging her sides.

Hannah felt sudden realization, leaning forward on her bed. "You still love him."

"Only a very little bit," Keta admitted.

Hannah knew abused women often continued to love their abusers, even after they had suffered the worst beatings. "I think it's good you joined us," Hannah mused. "It's about time you experienced true kindness and loyalty."

Keta uncrossed her arms and rubbed her hands over her face, all four of her eyes blinking rapidly. "It's so…different." She paused again, sucking in her lips, then blurted out her inner thoughts. "Lucas had no reason to come back for me, but he did. I didn't think he liked me at all."

Now Hannah understood the root of Keta's questions concerning loyalty. She hadn't expected someone to put himself in danger just to rescue her. All Keta's life she'd been forced to rely on herself alone and for the most part, those she'd met had viewed her only as an asset or a hindrance, how they would gain or lose by entering into a relationship with her. Unconditional friendship wasn't something she'd experienced.

"Lucas is an Alliance officer. We're loyal to our teams, no matter how we feel about them. Besides, I think you've grown on him."

"Maybe," Keta replied, then laid down on her bed, gingerly moving her wounded leg. Hannah sensed the conversation was over. She lay back on her own bed, more than willing to close her eyes and get the rest she needed before the next stage of her mission.

* * *

Hannah opened her eyes, roused from sleep by a nightmare. She couldn't recall it once she was fully awake, but she knew it had something to do with Jane dying. Relief flooded through her when she discovered she'd only been dreaming. She sat up on her bed, looking across the room and noticing Keta was no longer present. Her data pad beeped softly and she saw Steven had sent a message back.

_Commander Shepard, glad you get time to visit the Citadel again. I have some good friends there. Look them up if you have the time: Donnel Udina and David Anderson. Admiral Hackett._

So, David Anderson was on the Citadel. Maybe she'd get to see the man she hadn't in years and find out how he'd become friends with her daughter. Udina she recognized as the name of the human ambassador on the Citadel. Two names, two people she could potentially trust if she needed them. She was glad Steven was so politically entrenched and had made friends in high places. She stood up from the bed, splashed her face with some water at the sink and ran a toothbrush over her teeth. She headed to the door, intending to check on Lucas, then get an update from Pat.

She pushed the panel at Lucas' door, but there was no answer. Afraid something was amiss, she punched in a code, causing the door to hiss open. No one was in the room. She walked to the conference room. The door opened to reveal only Jules, sitting at the table by himself, his homemade device in front of him.

"Where's Lucas?" Hannah asked.

Jules looked up guiltily, turning off his device, then shrugged. "Still in medical?"

"What are you doing?" Hannah asked, suspicious.

"Just…reading." Jules bowed his head gloomily. Hannah reminded herself to pump Jules for more information regarding the files he'd copied on Terra Firma from Jeparn's data. She left the conference room, pacing to the back of the ship towards medical. As she approached, she heard voices speaking quietly. She halted just outside the entrance to listen.

"So why did you come see me anyway?" Lucas was asking.

"Just, wanting to make sure you're okay," Keta's voice replied.

"Uh huh. Well, that's just strange, considering you think I'm just a grufax." Hannah sensed Lucas' teasing tone, but Keta didn't read it correctly.

"I'm trying to be nice to you!" Keta insisted loudly.

Lucas laughed. "I was just joking…grufax."

Now Hannah heard Keta's soft chortle. "Alright, I get it. I came to say…thank you...for coming back for me." Hannah could tell Keta wasn't used to thanking anyone.

"You're welcome." Lucas returned. "I mean, you're kind of useful to have around."

"Ah," Keta said. "So that's the reason you helped me."

Lucas abruptly backtracked, realizing Keta still hadn't picked up when he was kidding. "No, no, I was joking again."

"Oh. I'm afraid I'm not so good with human humor."

"It was a bad joke. I shouldn't have said it. I mean, you _are_ useful, you know, for the mission, but I think I like you as a person, too...I mean batarian. As a batarian."

"You're not a bad human yourself," Keta returned the complement.

Hannah's comm came to life, Pat's voice speaking in her ear. "Commander, we're getting close to the Citadel. I pulled some strings, moved us through the relays faster."

Hannah backed away from the entrance to medical to respond out of ear shot. "Thanks, Pat." She then walked conspicuously through the entrance.

"So," she said, "How're you doing?"

Lucas had changed clothes, wearing a pair of navy pants and green pull over shirt that looked "Lucas-like." Keta stood with her back against the far wall.

"Good," Lucas said. "Not great. Still stings, but I'll be ready when we get to the Citadel."

Hannah nodded, once again pleased he was alright. Color had come back to his face. If she hadn't been there when he'd taken a bullet to the back, she would have thought nothing had happened to him at all. She silently praised the inventors of medi-gel.

"Pat says we're going to reach the Citadel soon. I'd like to meet in the conference room, plan out how to confront this 'Athena.'"

"Yes, ma'am," Lucas said dutifully. He pushed himself off the bed, then hesitated a moment, gaining his footing.

"Can you walk?" Keta asked, moving from the wall to his side.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just still feeling a bit winded and sore."

Hannah turned on her heel, heading to the conference room. She smiled to herself. It was nice to see Lucas and Keta finally learning to be friends.

* * *

Hannah gazed at the three expectant faces around the conference table. Lucas and Keta, having been created friends through circumstances, sat next to each other. Having both been shot recently, they were in surprisingly good spirits, eager to confront whoever was behind this plot against Jane and indirectly responsible for their injuries. Jules sat about mid way down the left side of the table. Unlike Lucas and Keta, Jules seemed entirely reluctant, most likely apprehensive over the fact he'd have to face a lying girlfriend once they reached the Citadel.

"Jules, is there any other data from Jeparn's files that will help us?" Hannah began the meeting.

"Not really," Jules informed her. "A lot of it's just…personal communication."

"Like what?" Keta asked, not able to let Jules' hesitancy go by without a jab to his ego. "Your girlfriend cheating on you?"

Jules glared at her, his usual way of looking at Keta. "Mind your own business, batarian," he spat out at her.

"Okay, look!" Hannah spoke with full authority. "Right now, I don't care who likes each other and who doesn't. All I care about is that my daughter isn't the victim of some violent Terra Firma or rogue cell plot. So I'm going to ask all three of you to keep your emotions under control. You're all adults here," she stared pointed at Jules, "so act like them, alright?"

Keta slowly bobbed her head. "I will do as you ask." She looked to Jules, challenging him not to live up to Hannah's request.

"I will, too," Jules said adamantly, not wanting to be shown up by the batarian in any way.

"Alright, so personal communication. Anything else?"

Jules scrolled through the data on his device. "The only other message that references Jane says that the death of the Spectre is necessary 'to move plans along.' I have no idea what that means."

Hannah flicked her gaze to Keta who nodded. "Keta does. She's sensed there's been something more here than just killing Jane from the beginning. There's a deeper plot we haven't discovered yet. I want to know what it is."

"So," Lucas piped in, "We find Jules' girlfriend and interrogate her." He sounded a little too enthusiastic and Hannah sent him a warning glance. "I don't mean physically beat her up, just, maybe threaten her a little, get her to tell us what's up."

"I concur," Keta added her two bits, supporting Lucas' idea.

"Well, I don't!" Jules cried out.

"I promised Jules he could talk to her first."

"What?" Lucas questioned. "You're going to let him go in and tip her off?"

"We'll be listening. We'll stay near Jules and listen as he talks to her. When the time is right, we'll confront her."

"Are you sure about this, Hannah?" Lucas asked, clearly doubtful this plan would work.

Hannah shifted her eyes at Keta, then fixed her gaze on Lucas. "Innocent until proven guilty, isn't she, Lucas? We need to be sure and not accuse an innocent person of a crime."

Lucas sighed roughly. "You're right. I agree to the plan."

"Good. So," Hannah reviewed. "We'll get onto the Citadel. Jules will try to find 'Athena.' Then, we listen and approach her when the time is right. Keta, do you want to be with us, or do want to come onto the station alone?"

"I think it will be best if I'm alone."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Lucas asked, eyeing her protectively. Hannah giggled inside. Apparently saving Keta had produced a desire within Lucas to continue acting as her defender.

"It's best," Keta replied. "I need to maintain a low profile. Walking around with three humans or even you two on the Citadel, isn't my idea of keeping hidden. I'll follow, watch from the sidelines, appear when needed."

Hannah sat back in her chair. "Then we're ready."

* * *

Pat pulled the Agrippa into the Citadel docks an hour later. Jules left the ship ahead of Hannah and Lucas who followed several meters behind him. Hannah didn't want to chance anything this time and had ordered Lucas to suit up in his armor. She had as well. If they found themselves in another shoot out, they'd be ready.

"Jules, can you hear me?" Hannah asked as she walked. Jules reached up and scratched the top of his head, the signal they'd decided meant he'd heard her.

"What about you?" she heard Jules' voice in her ear. She looked to Lucas who nodded.

"Loud and clear. Where are you headed?"

"An information terminal. I'm going to see if she's registered here." Jules walked several more feet, then paused, pushing buttons on a terminal. Hannah and Lucas stood to the side of the walkway, trying to look nonchalant. Aliens and humans passed by them, all busily consumed with their own work and destinations, not even noticing the two Alliance officers loitering to the side.

"She's here," Jules said. Hannah saw Jules' omni-tool flash on. She wondered how much time you could get for hacking a Citadel terminal. "That's all it can tell me. Only that she's here."

"Okay, you want to just walk around and look for her?"

"I'll head to the Upper Wards. She's told me she always likes to shop there." Jules started walking again, Hannah and Lucas trailing him. When they reached the Upper Wards, Jules slowed his pace, studying passersby and scanning the hallways. Hannah saw him rub his hands on his pants. She imagined his hands were slick with sweat at the thought of talking to the girl who had betrayed him.

Jules reached the end of the hall and a set of stairs that were all too familiar to Hannah. "I'm going into Flux."

"Yes, good choice, kid," Lucas spoke enthusiastically.

"Lucas," Hannah hissed. "Now is not the time."

"I'm _not_ going to drink," Jules muttered. "She might be in there."

Jules climbed the steps and Hannah and Lucas followed. As they entered the noisy club and Jules looked around, Hannah heard a sharp intake of air. "I see her." Jules didn't move. He just stood there, rooted to the spot, seemingly unwilling to step any closer to his girlfriend.

"Jules," Hannah spoke softly. "You can do this. Don't let her win this game."

Jules moved forward, bolstered by Hannah's words. He approached a table on the lower floor, far at the back of the club. Hannah and Lucas sat down three tables away, Hannah concentrating on Jules.

"Jules?" she heard a startled, smooth female voice speak. "What are you doing here? I…I thought you didn't ever come to the Citadel."

"Is that how you welcome your boyfriend?" Jules asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Oh, sorry. Of course, it's so good to see you!" Hannah saw the girl Jules had approached stand up and throw her arms around him, hugging him. Jules hugged her back, albeit slowly and not with much excitement. As she let go of Jules, Hannah observed "Athena." She had short, wavy black hair that bobbed beneath her ears, make-up that was too perfect and a slim, hourglass shape. No wonder Jules had fallen hook, line and sinker for this girl.

"Um, want a drink?" "Athena" asked.

"No."

"Oh. Okay? I guess, let's chat then." The girl sat uncertainly, Hannah sensing she knew something was wrong. "So…why're you on the Citadel? Underground business?"

"I found the router."

Lucas shifted in his seat, annoyed Jules was taking the credit for his find. Hannah lifted her eyebrows at him as if to say, "He can't tell her _you_ found it." Lucas waved his hand, conceding to the truthfulness of her thought.

"Uh…what router?" Hannah had to smile at "Athena's" attempt to fake innocence. She failed miserably. She might have fooled Jules when she had a plan, but she'd been taken by surprise now and it showed.

"You _did_ plant it," Jules stated, his voice portraying resentfulness now that he knew she'd used him for certain.

"Really, Jules, I just don't know…"

"Stop lying to me! Just tell me why. Did they force you or did you do it willingly?"

"Jules, it's really not like you to be this…insistent," "Athena" declared, apparently trying to change the subject. Hannah heard a shake in her voice and the girl covered her eyes, pretending to cry. Hannah rolled her eyes.

"She's still trying to play you, Jules," she warned.

Jules scratched the top of his head again, then reached over and roughly pulled her hand away from her face. "You're lying to me, even now."

"Athena's" face now changed. She was no longer the put upon maiden, now she was proud and haughty. "Alright. So I did plant it. So what? It was to help the cause."

"Did you ever love me?" Jules' voice came out low and hurt.

Hannah saw the girl breath in and out slowly. "I…like you."

Jules shook his head. "So when you said you loved me, that was a lie too, Giovanna, wasn't it?"

Hannah and Lucas stood up from their table. Jules had given them the go ahead to approach by using his girlfriend's real name. They moved over to the table and each took a seat next to Giovanna. The girl looked back and forth at them, suddenly anxious.

"Who are you?"

"They're _friends_," Jules said, emphasizing the last word to shame the girl in front of him.

Hannah stuck out her hand. "I'm Commander Hannah Shepard, Jane Shepard's mother," she spoke tersely.

Giovanna started and the blood drained out of her face. "I…I…"

"We know what you're planning to do with Zeus and Orion."

Giovanna's eyes flicked all over the room, as if looking for someone who could rescue her.

"You're going to tell us who you're working for and what the plan is."

Giovanna didn't find anyone to call out to and looked angrily at the people around her table. "I'm not telling you anything."

"If you don't, this isn't going to end well," Hannah pushed.

"What? You'll kill me? I don't believe you're capable of that."

Hannah leaned in close to Giovanna's face, so close the girl flinched when she spoke. "I am so capable, my dear. But I'm also fair. I'm giving you a chance to avoid prison for the rest of your life. I bet the Council doesn't take kindly to people trying to kill Spectres."

Giovanna visibly shuddered, but still held her ground. "I won't tell you. I…I won't turn him in."

"Ah," Hannah sat back. She looked to Jules. "She loves someone else. She's protecting one of them."

Jules stared at Giovanna with eyes of betrayal. Giovanna turned her face away from him. She made to stand up, but Lucas grabbed her wrist, holding her at the table. "You aren't going anywhere. You're an Alliance citizen and we're Alliance Navy officers. Out here, we have the right to detain you here and now on suspicion of conspiracy to murder."

"Then do it!" Giovanna challenged. Lucas looked to Hannah for direction.

"We'll take her to the ambassador. Show him our evidence."

Lucas stood up, pulling Giovanna along with him, pinning her hands behind her back and making her walk in front of him. As they left Flux, people and aliens watched them pass, curious at what was happening, but not wanting to get involved. They had almost reached the elevator, when someone in a dark cape bumped into Lucas and Giovanna, then passed on by. Hannah turned to look behind, pondering if she'd correctly intuited the identity of the retreating figure.

* * *

"Ambassador," Hannah said, holding out her hand. Udina shook it. Hannah wasn't impressed. He was one of those people who had a weak handshake that made you feel you were handling a dead fish.

"Commander," Udina returned, his face solemn. "I was surprised when you contacted me."

"Yes, sir."

Udina sent a critical eye over Lucas and the girl he held in front of him as well as the young man standing obediently behind them. "What do you need?"

"Admiral Hackett said I could contact you if I needed help."

"Oh, yes?"

"I've been investigating a threat to Commander Jane Shepard."

"Ah, Shepard," Udina intoned, sounding none too pleased. He sighed. "And?"

"We became aware of a plot to assassinate the Commander."

Udina raised his eyebrows. "This girl?" he asked doubtfully.

"Not directly," Hannah said. "The plot comes from Terra Firma or one of its rogue cells."

Udina gave her an incredulous look. "Terra Firma has gained several seats in the Parliament. It is a respectable party. I may not always agree with their ideas, but several of my friends support Terra Firma. It doesn't have 'rogue cells.' If it did, my intelligence reports would have mentioned them."

Hannah took a long breath, considering Donnel Udina. Steven may have thought him trustworthy, but Hannah had the sinking feeling she would get nowhere with him.

"I have proof," Jules spoke up, stepping up to Udina and shoving his device into the ambassador's hands.

"What is this?"

"Please, read it, sir," Hannah pleaded.

Udina skimmed the messages, scrolling through them. As he did so, the door slid open and someone else entered. Hannah recognized David Anderson. He was thirteen years older, but still the same handsome man she remembered. He raised his eyebrows, perplexed at seeing both her and the group in the ambassador's office. "I see the implications. These people, Athena, Orion, Zeus, have tried to hire someone to kill _a _Spectre. Were you aware the Council has a rogue Spectre on its hands, a turian?"

Hannah nodded.

"How do you know this doesn't refer to that Spectre and not your _daughter_?" Hannah's feathers ruffled at Udina's underlying implication that she was only here because she was an over reactive mother.

"I've spoken to the batarian who was hired. She confirms she was hired to kill Commander Shepard."

"Excuse me," Anderson spoke up. "Who was hired to kill Shepard?"

Udina turned weary eyes on Anderson. "These…officers are claiming this girl is part of a plot to kill the first human Spectre." Udina passed Jules' device over to Anderson, who read the messages, his face darkening as he did so.

"You talked to a _batarian_? How?" Udina asked, addressing Hannah again.

"She came to me. We know each other from the past and she came to tell me that she'd been hired."

"Hum…" Udina intoned. "And where is this batarian now?"

"She's on station. Would you like to talk to her?" Hannah asked.

Udina began to mutter under his breath, then stopped and spoke clearly. "Do you think this girl is Athena?"

"We know she is."

"She planted a router in my apartment to set me up," Jules spoke loudly.

"We monitored the assassin's calls and they led us to his apartment," Hannah explained.

"What's your name?" Udina asked, turning from Hannah to the girl.

"Giovanna Moretti. And I'm innocent. These people accosted me. I'm not even part of Terra Firma's party. Look at my file."

Udina moved to his desk, fiddling with his computer. "Giovanna Moretti. Recently arrived on the Citadel from Earth. Family is a farming family in Italy. Born in Venice. Registered with the Uni Pax party. On the Citadel to foster trade relations between Earth and the Citadel." Udina looked at Hannah. "There's nothing untoward here."

"The entry's a lie!" Lucas called out. "Anyone can lie about why they're here."

"Look, Commander," Udina spoke stiffly to Hannah. "I don't deny these messages hold serious implications. But they may not apply to your daughter. You can't even trust your source. This batarian assassin found _you, _not the other way around. Batarians aren't known for their honesty or their love of humanity. As for this girl and planting a router, does this young man have proof she planted it? Did he see her?"

"She's Athena! She's in the messages!" Jules cried out, pointing at his device still in Anderson's hand.

"And how do you _know_ she's Athena?"

"She told me. I work for Terra Firma. She does, too."

"I just broke up with him," Giovanna spoke up. "Two weeks ago. It was a bad breakup. Ask him if he was my boyfriend."

Now Udina looked annoyed. "Well, were you?"

"Yes," Jules spluttered, "But…"

"Enough!" Udina put his hand in the air. "I have more important things to do than satisfy a mother's fears." Hannah had the sudden feeling all she wanted to do was slap Donnel Udina hard across the face. "The only evidence you present are four messages, vague and most likely referring to another Spectre, the rogue one we all know is harassing the galaxy. Your batarian assassin is probably lying to make humanity look bad in front of the Council. We take this to them and they laugh in our faces when they find out the plot has nothing to do with Commander Shepard. We look like suspicious fools."

"But this young man," Anderson began, but was abruptly interrupted by Udina.

"This young man," Udina said, pointing to Jules, but talking to Anderson, "just broke up with his girlfriend and can find no better way to get back at her than sell her out to the mother of the newest Spectre and claim _she's_ the culprit. For all we know, this young man planted the router himself to implicate her." Jules let out an angry snarl and Udina narrowed his eyes at him. "All I see here are conspiracy theories run amok…Now, let that girl go. If you find any definitive proof, I'll listen. For now, get out of my office and let me do some real work for the Alliance."

Giovanna pushed away from Lucas who reluctantly let her go. She huffed to the door and strode out of the office, her head held high. Hannah and her crew followed, watching the girl walk down the hall.

"So, the cat's out of the bag," Lucas spoke quietly. "Now _they_ know we know. They'll be after Keta and hire someone else to get Jane."

"Not if I can help it."

Hannah turned. David Anderson had followed them out the door. He reached out and shook Hannah's hand, a firm, solid handshake. "Nice to see you again…Commander."

"You as well. You believe us?"

Anderson nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if Terra Firma has a beef with Jane. Her views on aliens are well known. Why haven't you told her about this assassination plot?"

"We don't know who's been compromised," Hannah explained, her hope soaring as she spoke to Anderson, hoping he'd have the clout to bring the people who threatened Jane down. "It's possible they have a mole on the Normandy, maybe have even bugged Jane."

Anderson put a hand to his chin. "I assume, despite Udina's conclusions, your evidence _is_ sound."

"Irrefutable," Hannah said.

"I can put a tail on the girl. Lock her down on the Citadel."

"Or maybe you can just track her," a new voice added to the conversation. The voice was low, the figure caped, but Hannah knew without a doubt Keta was hidden inside.

"And you are…" Anderson said.

Hannah lowered her voice. "She's the assassin who alerted me to the plot."

"Hum…" Anderson intoned. "Batarian on the station. I understand why you're hiding."

"How do we track her?" Hannah asked Keta.

Keta lit up her omni-tool and moved next to Hannah, showing her a map of the Citadel with a flashing dot moving around it. "I planted a tracker on her."

Hannah smiled knowingly. So it _had_ been Keta who bumped into Lucas and Giovanna.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Anderson spoke to the group. "Let's find out where she goes."


	26. Confrontation

Hannah decided it wasn't a good idea for four people to stand around in the hall outside Udina's office huddled breathlessly around Keta, staring at her omni-tool. Instead, she ordered Keta to walk ahead, followed by herself and Anderson and then Lucas and Jules at intervals. As she kept an eye on Keta, Hannah glimpsed David Anderson with her peripheral vision.

"Thanks for believing me."

"A trained and accomplished Alliance officer who maintains her control enough to fight off a slew of batarians on Mindoir isn't prone to silly conspiracy theories."

"The ambassador doesn't seem to share your opinion."

Anderson sighed. "Udina's primary focus is the appearance of humanity. He's obsessed with impressing the Council. He would never take anything to them unless he could be assured he'd be respected and valued for it."

"In other words," Hannah concluded, "_he_ doesn't want to look bad."

"He's a bit arrogant," Anderson conceded.

Hannah laughed. "Only a bit?"

Anderson smiled broadly. "Perhaps more than that."

"Keta's stopped at an elevator." Hannah and Anderson halted next to the batarian, separated from her by a few feet, pretending they were waiting for the elevator as well.

"She's gone to another level," Keta whispered, her voice still low as it filtered through her modulator.

"Jules," Hannah spoke quietly. "Can you still hear me?"

"Yes."

"Did you hear Keta?"

"No."

"Giovanna's got on the elevator. Watch where it goes, then take the next car after us."

"Okay."

The elevator arrived and Keta, Hannah and Anderson stepped inside. When the door shut, Anderson turned to Keta.

"David Anderson," he introduced himself, sticking out his hand.

Keta reached out slowly and shook his hand. "Keta La'ali."

Anderson looked to Hannah. "Do I even want to ask how you met and became friends with a batarian assassin?"

"It's a long story," Hannah returned, not wanting to go into details at the present time.

"I want to hear it some day," Anderson insisted. "When we've got the time."

The elevator descended, moving down to the Lower Wards. When the door opened, Keta exited and started walking down the hall to the left. Hannah and Anderson followed. After a while, Hannah glanced briefly over her shoulder and saw Lucas and Jules behind them. They must have walked for twenty more minutes before Keta changed direction and went into a store. Hannah peered cautiously inside, but didn't see Giovanna anywhere.

"I'll wait here," Anderson said. "You go in and see what your friend's up to."

Hannah entered and scanned down several aisles, finally identifying Keta at the back of the store, seemingly ruminating at a snack bar. She sauntered up to her.

"Hungry?" Hannah asked, half-teasing, half-curious.

"No," Keta's voice answered seriously. "I didn't want to attract the attention of anyone out there. She's stopped moving. She's in an apartment not far from here. I think at this point, you should go on without me."

Hannah's eyebrows creased. "You're pulling out?"

"Not entirely. I've stayed alive by keeping three steps ahead of my enemies. My skills are best used when I shoot from a distance, then get out. You're an Alliance officer, about to confront Alliance citizens in person. I'm just a worthless batarian."

"You aren't worthless to me," Hannah objected, rejecting Keta's description of herself.

Keta paused a moment. "What I mean is, I don't know if I'll be safe. On this station, I'm in constant danger, surrounded by species who don't like batarians. I'm sure this girl is giving me up right now and after she does, my life is in danger. And if things go wrong, I don't have the support behind me that you do to protect myself."

"So what role do you want to play?

"I need to stay behind the scenes. Let you and your Alliance friends do what you must and cover your backs as needed."

"I understand," Hannah said. She knew Keta wasn't saying this out of fear, but wisdom. It made complete sense. Hannah was glad Keta had thought ahead. She didn't want Keta's capture or death on her hands.

Keta handed her omni-tool to Hannah. "You follow her in. I'll be out of sight."

"Got it." Hannah turned to leave, but Keta's hand on her arm stopped her.

"I may not like the young human we picked up on Omega, but I suppose to be loyal to _you_ I should point out that he's in danger as well. He is aware they set him up and he's a liability to them now."

Hannah heard a gasp in her ear and knew Jules had heard Keta's evaluation of the current situation as it concerned himself. Hannah hadn't considered how Terra Firma would now view Jules. Keta was right. Jules had inside information. If Giovanna was spilling the beans right now, he'd be one of the first people they'd want out of the way.

"Jules?"

"Yes?" she heard the young man's voice, taut with fear.

"Send Lucas into the store."

In only a few seconds, Lucas appeared next to Hannah. "I want you to take Jules back to the Agrippa. Have Pat lock it down. Tell him _no_ visitors are allowed onboard without my permission."

Lucas looked from Hannah to Keta. "I'm not leaving you, not when you need me."

"I think Captain Anderson can fill in for you quite well. He's got a lot of experience and authority."

Lucas sucked in an unhappy breath. "Is this an order?"

"Yep."

"Alright, ma'am. I'll get him back," he consented reluctantly. "What should I do after he's there?"

Hannah looked to Keta for an idea.

"Stand guard and watch out," she spoke up. "If they come for him, take them by surprise."

Lucas nodded. "See you back on the ship." He turned and left the store. Hannah spoke to Jules through her comm. "Jules, if I need you, I'll let you know. You can disconnect. Might be safer that way."

"Yes, of course. Disconnecting."

Hannah left the store and stood in front of Anderson whose eyebrows were raised. "My friend needs to stay incognito. Since they know she won't be killing Jane, she's in danger. And Jules is in trouble, too. I don't know how angry they'll be that he put two and two together."

Anderson nodded. "So, your friend gave you her omni-tool?"

Hannah nodded, fitting it over her wrist and flipping it on. The map glowed brightly, a red dot now stationary not far from the store. "Giovanna's in an apartment not far from here. Are you armed?"

Anderson smirked. "I learned long ago not to go anywhere without a weapon." He pointed to the boot he wore. "So, it's just you and me, Commander. One old rooster and one old hen." Hannah grinned, remembering the line she'd used on Anderson when she'd first met him.

"You think we can take the spring chickens?" she asked.

"Oh, I think we've learned a trick or two in our days."

"That we have. Let's go."

* * *

Hannah and Anderson evaluated the hall to the apartment. A couple humans were chatting against one wall, one of them a woman loudly complaining about her husband. They appeared harmless. Still, Anderson bent over and pulled a pistol out of his boot, ready if the loiterers were not what they seemed. They passed the couple without incident and proceeded down the hall. The apartment was at the end in a corner.

Hannah sent Anderson a look that asked, "What do we do now?"

Anderson pushed the panel outside the door. "Straightforward is best."

Hannah nodded and her heart quickened its pace. This was it, the moment she would finally come face to face with whoever was behind the plot against Jane. She'd find out why they wanted her daughter to die so badly and eliminate the threat.

The door opened and a man in his late forties said, "About time…" then his voice faded and his eyes grew wide. Anderson pushed him inside, holding the pistol to his chest. Hannah brought her own pistol to bear, training it immediately on Giovanna who had risen from an easy chair.

"This is outrageous!" the girl cried out. "You have no right to come into this apartment! It's private property!"

"You want to call C-Sec?" Anderson asked. "I'd be happy to share the evidence we have with them. Let them know they have terrorists on the station."

Giovanna hesitated, not willing to call Anderson's bluff. Hannah didn't think C-Sec would take kindly to people being held against their will inside their apartments. Luckily, Giovanna's guilt was so potent, she didn't think that far. Or maybe she just didn't want to chance that C-Sec would believe Anderson and start its own investigation.

"I haven't done anything wrong!" the middle aged man bellowed out, his grey eyes darting between Anderson and Hannah.

When Hannah glanced at him, a memory stirred in her mind. He looked familiar. She knew she had seen him before. But where?

"Who were you expecting?" Anderson demanded. The man's eyes flicked momentarily to Giovanna.

"No one."

"Right," Anderson said sarcastically. "Have a seat. We'll wait together."

The man obediently sat, but he looked to Giovanna again, clearly worried. His thick eyebrows bounced up and down, full of nervous excitement. Giovanna flipped on her omni-tool.

"I'm calling the ambassador. I'm sure he'll be appalled."

Hannah stepped close to her and held the pistol to her forehead. The girl stopped tapping her omni-tool. Her face rose to glare at Hannah with anger, but also fear, evident on her face. "You've threatened my daughter. Don't think I won't do whatever I have to do to save her."

Giovanna shut down her omni-tool. Time ticked by. As it did, Hannah kept glancing back at the man, wracking her brains to remember where she had seen him before. She felt like the answer was on the tip of her brain, so very close. It involved Jane. She'd seen this man when she'd been with Jane somewhere.

After what seemed like hours, a chime sounded in the room. Giovanna shifted in her seat, her fear now palpable. "Don't kill him. Please," she whispered, fixing Hannah with imploring eyes.

Anderson walked to the door, still keeping his pistol leveled at the man sitting on a couch. He pushed the panel next to the door and it slid open.

"Uh…Captain Anderson?"

"Come in, Mr. Saracino," Anderson spoke nonchalantly.

The man called Saracino walked through the door, but then saw Hannah holding a gun to Giovanna's head. He swiveled around, intending to bolt through the door, but Anderson had already closed and locked it.

"Look…I just came here cause that girl," he said, pointing to Giovanna, "asked me to. I have no idea what is going on."

"Sit, down," Anderson said, emphasizing each word. Saracino moved to sit next to the man as yet unnamed.

"Now," Anderson began, eyeing each of the three people staring at him uncertainly in turn. "Commander Hannah Shepard has uncovered a plot to kill Commander Jane Shepard, first human Spectre."

"And that involves us how?" Saracino challenged.

Giovanna suddenly blurted out, "Jules found the router. I'm so sorry, Charles. He found it and somehow they found out and…"

"Shut up!" Saracino yelled across the room. "Keep your mouth closed."

Giovanna stopped talking, but tears formed in her eyes and this time, Hannah knew they were real.

Hannah stared at the man named Charles Saracino. She sensed he was the authority in the room. "You're Zeus."

There was a slight hesitancy before Saracino answered with a question. "Who? Look, if you had any evidence, we'd be at C-Sec headquarters. I can call C-Sec right now."

Hannah had pulled out her data pad and started reading. "'Orion, you've done well. Humanity is blessed to be in your hands. Soon, human space will be cleansed. Find me at the usual place on Mount Olympus. Zeus. P.S. Tell Athena she can join me on Olympus.'"

The blood drained out of Saracino's face. "How…"

Hannah suddenly turned her gun on Saracino, fury overwhelming her. "Why do you want to kill my daughter?" she shouted. Before Saracino could answer, Hannah felt a sharp pain in her forearm as Giovanna jumped up and karate chopped the gun out of her hand. The pistol clattered across the floor and Giovanna made a dive for it. Hannah was on top of her in a minute, pulling her back, then kicking her out of the way. She snatched up the pistol and turned it back on the girl, grabbing Giovanna's arm and hauling her to her feet. She looked into the girl's face.

"You know how many I've fought and killed in my time in the Alliance Navy? More than you, that's for sure. I wouldn't try anything." She pushed the girl back into the easy chair. She locked eyes with Anderson for a moment and nodded at him, assuring him she was alright. Her arm ached, but she ignored it.

Anderson picked up the question. "So, why _do_ you want Commander Shepard dead?"

"I don't want her dead," Saracino insisted, holding his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "That message wasn't sent by me."

"The guilt's written all over your face," Anderson laughed harshly.

Saracino scowled at him. "Is this because we're Terra Firma, because Commander Shepard's an alien-loving pacifist and wants to get back at us?"

"I thought you weren't Terra Firma," Hannah spat out to Giovanna.

"Well…I…was thinking of changing." She glowered at Saracino who looked disappointed in himself as he realized he'd inadvertently uncovered one of her lies.

"Is that why you want to kill her? Because she's an 'alien-loving pacifist'?" Anderson pushed Saracino.

"That's it," Saracino called out. "I'm calling in C-Sec. You don't have any evidence, just some message that doesn't mention any of us. And since you don't, I think it's time you left." He put his hand to his ear, but Anderson walked over and pulled his hand down. "You can't…"

"There's a rumor," Anderson said, his tone low and threatening, "that your hands are deep in the cookie jar. I may be retired from the Navy, but I still have friends in high places. It wouldn't take much for me to get an investigation started into your finances, check your statements. You could end up in front of a Parliament investigation committee."

Saracino nervously rubbed his stubbly beard, but said nothing.

"Let's go, Commander," Anderson said to Hannah, but Hannah didn't move. "Commander?"

"You were on Arcturus," she said slowly, "on the maintenance catwalk. The day the turian ambassador arrived."

The eyes of the man sitting next to Saracino widened in recognition. Saracino turned to look at him, his features registering genuine surprise.

"And later," Hannah continued, "there was an attempted assassination, but they never found the culprit."

"Lady, I've never been to Arcturus," the man said, but his attempt at lying failed miserably, his voice shaking, as if Hannah had uncovered a skeleton in his closet he'd kept hidden for years.

"Commander," Anderson called again. Hannah walked over to stand next to him at the door.

"Let me make the deal clear," Anderson concluded decisively. "You call off any attempts to kill Commander Jane Shepard. If you don't, we'll start an investigation into your finances, Mr. Saracino. And we'll let the Alliance know the assassin from Arcturus has been found. You want to chance their video footage of that day won't place you there, you go right ahead and take out another hit on Shepard."

The unnamed man nervously wrung his hands. Saracino sat with his arms folded across his chest, but his face full of fear. Giovanna said nothing, her eyes hurt and scared.

Anderson punched the door panel and left along with Hannah. He quickly replaced his pistol into his boot and then moved quickly down the hall. Hannah increased her pace to catch up with him.

"So, do we go back to Udina?"

"He wouldn't listen," Anderson said. "We still have very little to go on."

"But they're guilty. What if they…"

"Stop, Commander."

Hannah paused, Anderson having halted back outside the store. He flicked on his omni-tool and tapped furiously. Hannah unexpectedly heard voices in her ear.

"…didn't even know you were behind the attempt to kill the turian ambassador, Alex," she heard Saracino.

"It didn't go off. There was no reason to tell you. And it was so long ago, I thought it had all been forgotten. Curse that whore!"

"Forget Arcturus," Giovanna's voice interjected. "What about now? What about Shepard?"

"I'm calling it off," Saracino proclaimed decisively.

"What?" Alex cried out. "After all our work?"

"They have too many witnesses. Jules will be on their side now."

"The mother says the batarian contacted them, too," Giovanna informed him.

Saracino cursed aloud, then mumbled, "At least no one will believe her."

"Why did we hire her anyway?" Alex asked. "We should have known we couldn't trust a batarian to get the job done."

"We _had_ to get a batarian," Saracino defended the plan. "How else would we get a war?" Discouragement colored his voice.

Giovanna next spoke, her voice gentle. "It was a good plan, Charles. It really was. The Alliance _would_ have declared war if their human Spectre had been martyred by a batarian."

"It _was_ a good plan," Saracino muttered. "Now it's all been shot to hell. Khar'shan is still a threat to humanity. If this had gone off, we'd be at war and Terra Firma would get the credit for exposing the batarian who killed Shepard. We'd get more control of the Parliament. Now what do we have?"

"We could still hire someone else. We could…" Alex spoke, desperately trying to save the plan.

"No," Saracino declared firmly. "I know Anderson. He's a pit bull. He's got me and he knows he does."

"Take him out then," Alex said.

"I said no!" Saracino suddenly yelled. "They'll be watching us now. Are you going to follow orders or not?"

"Alright, alright. I got it."

"It was a long shot anyway," Saracino admitted.

"I'm kind of glad it's over," Giovanna said quietly.

"Vannie…" Saracino said, his voice mirroring the soft way she spoke.

"It put you in danger. I can't lose you, Charles. I love you."

"It's alright. You did good, girl." Hannah heard the sound of a kiss.

"Want to go back to your apartment?" Giovanna suggested coquettishly.

"Yeah," Saracino answered.

"Oh, fine. Leave me by myself after all this has blown up in our faces," Alex grumbled.

"Go drink with your asari, Alex. That always makes you feel better."

There was the sound of a door opening and shutting. Anderson gestured to the store and he and Hannah entered, keeping out of sight. Soon Saracino and Giovanna walked by, holding hands. Hannah growled.

"Easy, mother bear," Anderson said gently.

"Them in love. It's just sick," Hannah snarled. "They plan for Jane to die, to involve the Alliance in a war, and then they pleasure themselves with love. It's so wrong."

"Even our enemies have hearts," Anderson asserted.

"It'd be easier if they didn't," Hannah grumbled.

"Perhaps it would."

Hannah eyed Anderson. "You carry bugs around with you wherever you go?"

Anderson smiled. "No. It wasn't for them, but I couldn't pass the opportunity by."

Hannah tilted her head. "Udina?" Her mouth grew wide with a smile.

"He's gotten more paranoid by the day. I can't trust him and I want to _know _what he's up to, not just hear it from his mouth."

"You _are_ a pit bill, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged and proud of it," Anderson said, puffing out his chest.

"So," Hannah said, looking back out into the hall and not seeing Saracino and Giovanna anywhere. "Is Jane safe?"

"Most likely. Look, I have a lot of friends here on the Citadel. I'll keep an eye on Terra Firma here, especially on Saracino and his lot. But Saracino is at heart a coward. He's a politician who loves his prestige and his money. He won't endanger either. This plan, it was his one 'brilliant' idea and it's been foiled. I don't think he'll recover anytime soon."

Hannah sighed. "So Jane's been saved and I didn't even have to kill anyone. At least, not anyone who plotted against her."

Anderson raised his eyebrows.

Hannah explained. "We had a run in with the Blue Suns on Omega. They came after Keta."

"Ah. So why are you disappointed this ended the way it did?"

"I guess I imagined this mission ending with my hands around the throat of the person after my daughter, wringing the life out of him." Hannah paused. "Is it wrong to wish that had happened?"

Anderson shrugged. "Who's to say? A parent will do most anything to protect a child. Death would assure Jane will suffer no danger from them in the future. In this case, you'll have to content yourself with my word. I won't let them go after Shepard again."

Hannah contemplated David Anderson. He was resourceful, savvy, resolute. She nodded. She knew she could trust him to keep his promise.

"Now, how about a drink on me?"

"Okay. But then I need to get back to my ship."

"This way, Commander."

* * *

Hannah raised her glass, clinking it against Anderson's. They both sipped their wine, an old vintage imported from earth with a robust flavor. Hannah drew in a breath. Anderson had taken her to a small bar in the Presidium that offered a view of its lake. Hannah stared up at the artificial sky, almost convinced it was real. She felt tired. She wanted to go back to Arcturus, report to Steven and be done with this whole affair. She wondered if she could regain some kind of peace back on the Kilimanjaro through cathartic and familiar work.

"You need a rest," Anderson advised.

Hannah looked to the man rolling his wine glass between his hands. She nodded in agreement. "You, too, Captain?"

"Call me David."

"Alright. David."

"I've been restless. To be honest, retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm used to action, not sitting around with nothing to do. Now that you've come, I've at least got a focus, keeping watch on our mutual 'friends.'" His eyes danced and Hannah chuckled.

"You really do like Jane, don't you?" she asked, probing the nature of her daughter's relationship with her former captain.

"She's impressive. She gets the job done, with success and finesse. She's got the persistence essential for the military. But she also has a heart. People are attracted to her because she cares about them. They give their loyalty to her easily."

Hannah smiled softly. Her mother's heart beamed with pride to hear Jane described in such glowing terms. "She has her dad to thank for that, I think."

"And her mother, I'm sure."

Hannah breathed out slowly. "I hope that's true."

Anderson abruptly leaned across the table. "The truth is, Commander, your daughter's in the middle of a critical mission. She's using all her skills on this one and she needs them all." Hannah's heartbeat quickened. "She's involved in something deep. But if there's one person in this entire galaxy who can get through it, it's her. I know she's going to succeed where I failed."

All of a sudden, Hannah was desperate to contact Jane, to know she was alright. What was she doing right now? What monsters could she be facing? Hannah had discovered the worst thing about being a mother: not being able to hold your chicks in the nest indefinitely, keeping them under your wings and protecting them from the real world.

"She'll be alright. I know it," Anderson reiterated and sat back in his chair, sipping from his wine glass.

Hannah took another sip from hers. "You failed?" she questioned.

Anderson smiled sadly. "I was _almost_ the first human Spectre."

"Really?"

Anderson nodded. "It didn't work out." He said nothing more, just drank silently. Hannah perceived the same difficult past she'd sensed when she'd first met David Anderson on Arcturus Station. She felt the same sympathy for a man who'd seen hard times and been left to pick up the pieces of his life.

"Spectre or not, you're a good man, David. A very good man…And I do know Jane is safe in your protection."

"So, you don't mind that I act like a father bear?"

Hannah grinned. At first, she'd wondered if Anderson loved her daughter. Perhaps he did, but not in the way she'd thought. He didn't love her romantically; he cared for her like his own child.

"I don't mind. In fact, that assures me more than anything else that you'll be on her side no matter what."

Anderson nodded and raised his glass. "To Shepard."

Hannah copied his movement. "To Jane." She stared into Anderson's eyes as they both drank their toast. _Daniel,_ Hannah said inside, _I hope you don't mind, but I think Jane's found a substitute dad. She's in good hands, I promise._


	27. Captain

Anderson dropped Hannah off at the Agrippa, shaking her hand good-bye and assuring her of Jane's safety one last time. He'd informed her that he'd handpicked every crewmember of the Normandy and highly doubted any of them were Terra Firma spies. Still, he promised to scrutinize each of their files and backgrounds again. For her part, Hannah vowed to Anderson she'd order Jules to contact Jane and confess he'd written a program to track her ship, then tell her how to remove it.

Once Anderson departed, Lucas popped up out of nowhere, having guarded the ship from out of sight as he'd been commanded.

"So, is it over?" he asked, making a beeline for her.

"As over as it's going to be for now."

"They're not in jail, are they?"

"No, but I think Jane's safe. Anyway, Anderson will make sure of that."

Lucas considered the retreating figure of the formidable man. "If you trust him, then I do."

Hannah smiled. Good old, Lucas. Always her friend to the bitter end.

"So where's Keta?"

Hannah shook her head. She'd been wondering herself where the batarian went to. "I thought she would have found me by now. We'd better wait a little, see if she needs a ride somewhere."

"I've found my own way off the station," Hannah heard Keta's voice absent the modulator. It came through the comm in her ear. She scanned the room.

"Keta? Where are you?"

Lucas cocked his head, then pointed to his ear. Hannah nodded, affirming Keta was talking to her.

"I'm not near you at the moment."

"Then how are you…"

"You still have my omni-tool. It's a security measure so if it was ever taken from me, I could hear what was happening on the other end."

"So, you heard what went down then."

"Yes." There was a short pause. "And I don't like the way it ended. I know your hands are tied, but I'd rather those three had met their maker. Still, your friend Anderson seems capable and trustworthy."

"Sorry, Keta, that you're still perhaps in danger."

"I'm not worried. Besides, I think I'm finished. I'm tired of hiding and running. I'm going to retire. Settle down on a beach somewhere and get a tan."

"Batarians can tan?" Hannah asked, actually surprised.

"We turn a nice shade of golden red. Maybe I'll invite you to go along with me."

"Thanks, but I've got my hands full with the Alliance."

"Maybe some day, when you have the time. Hey, tell the grufax bye for me. I think I might miss him. Does that make me insane?"

Hannah looked at Lucas. "She says good-bye and she'll miss you." Lucas grinned.

"You weren't supposed to say that last part!" Keta hissed out.

"Oops."

"Tell her, 'See you round,'" Lucas interjected.

"You catch that?"

"Yes."

"About your omni-tool…"

"Keep it. I've got others. You'll find some software on there that will come in useful. Keep my weapons, too. I've got loads of those. And Hannah…I just want to thank you for your trust in me and your…loyalty. It's been…refreshing."

"My pleasure, Keta," Hannah answered, suddenly feeling she would miss her batarian friend greatly. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll be in touch." Hannah's comm went silent.

"So that's that."

Lucas nodded. "What now?"

"Let's go home."

* * *

The journey back to Arcturus Station was uneventful. Lucas and Pat spent most of the time playing checkers and sometimes poker as long as Lucas agreed they play with credits off the table. Pat declared he didn't want to lose the money from his pension all in one trip. He'd made a wise decision as Hannah discovered when Lucas confided in her that Pat didn't challenge him at all and he missed Keta's skills.

In fact, Lucas seemed to be missing Keta a lot. He'd moan and groan when he had nothing to do, and often end by wishing Keta had come back on the ship with them. Hannah thought it all too humorous considering the animosity they'd started the mission off with. The only thing that seemed to satisfy Lucas in regards to Keta was that she'd left her guns behind, meaning he could have permanent possession of her modified shot gun.

The minute they had pulled out from the Citadel, Hannah had confronted Jules, demanding he contact Jane, admit what he had done and instruct her how to remedy the situation. Jules was reluctant, but had no choice; he conceded it needed to be done. So he'd sent the e-mail. Nothing came back. Hannah assumed Jane was too busy to answer, whatever covert mission she was involved with taking all her time.

Hannah did her own duty and sent a message to Steven, letting him know they were on their way home, that she thought Jane was safe and she'd tell him more when they arrived. A day into their trip back, she received an unexpected message from Keta, who she hadn't thought she'd hear from in a long time.

_I knew there was a reason I saved your daughter (besides my loyalty to you). Next time you see her, tell her I'm forever in her debt. –K_

There was a link at the end of the message. When Hannah tapped it, it pulled up an article on the extranet from a news source. It detailed an attack on Terra Nova, how a group of batarian terrorists had commandeered Asteroid X57, intending to crash it into the colony. Luckily, Commander Jane Shepard, the first human Spectre, assaulted the asteroid, halting the batarian attack. The leader of the attack, Ka'hairal Balak, had escaped and was currently being hunted by Alliance forces.

Hannah shook her head at the irony. She pondered for a moment if certain people were destined to be drawn to one another, even if they were enemies. Twenty years ago, she'd had her run-in with Balak and survived. Now her daughter had her own run-in and had defeated him. She then took a long, shaky breath. Jane had been near Balak. She couldn't stand this watching from the sidelines. This never knowing where Jane was and what was happening to her.

_It's a good thing Jane's an only child_, Hannah thought to herself. _If I had more than one, I'd be in an asylum, I'd go so crazy._

Hannah pushed thoughts of Jane's current mission out of her mind. If there was one skill she'd acquired over her years in the military, it was how to cover her emotions. She was an expert at keeping them at bay. She knew worrying over Jane would accomplish nothing.

* * *

The Agrippa pulled into hanger 56 as smoothly as it had taken off, thanks to the capable hands of Pat Morales. Hannah had called ahead, letting Steven know of their imminent arrival. She'd also called Lourdes, who was beyond ecstatic to find that Hannah had brought her prodigal home. So it was that when they stepped off the Agrippa, they were greeted by two people eager to see them, though for different reasons.

Lourdes rushed forward, throwing her arms around Jules who embarrassingly patted her back and persuaded her he was alright. She then turned to Hannah and hugged her tightly, tears in her eyes as she thanked her. After Lourdes and Jules left, Hannah said good-bye to Pat, thanking him for his service and help. The older man smiled and let her know if she ever needed him, he'd gladly escape the retirement center.

"So, Red," Lucas said as he watched Pat leave, "permission to go?"

Hannah smiled at him and shook his hand. "Of course, Lucas. Keep close, though. You never know when I'll need you."

"Just call me." Lucas left the hangar carrying his new shotgun and whistling.

That left Hannah alone with Steven. They sat next to each other on a couple crates and she began her story, tracing the events on Omega and then on the Citadel. Steven kept his arms folded over his chest the whole time, his eyebrows rising and falling as he listened to different parts of her story.

"Udina's changed since I last saw him," he commented.

"I wondered why you said I could trust him. He's paranoid…And I don't think he likes Jane much."

"He was all for her when we recommended her as a Spectre. Something's changed. I suspect it has to do with…" He abruptly cut off his statement, then eyed her apologetically. "Something I can't tell you, not yet."

"Not even a mother can know Alliance secrets?"

"It's not that I don't want to tell you. There's just more going on here than I can say."

"I understand." Hannah really did get it, but she wished she didn't have to be kept in the dark in regards to her own daughter.

"I'm glad Anderson was useful, though. If he's watching Jane's back, I'm certain she's safe."

Hannah nodded.

"Terra Firma…" Steven shook his head. "They've gained more respect around here over the years. They speak so positively about humanity and their arguments make sense on some level, but I've always thought they were more anti-alien than even they would admit."

"Jane must drive them nuts," Hannah replied, thinking of her alien-loving daughter as Saracino called her.

"I checked out every office and every person on my staff. I didn't find anything. I think we're safe on this end as well."

"Good."

"Well, now that this is over," Steven said, standing up, "I'd like to show you something."

Hannah stood up as well and narrowed her eyes, noticing the hidden smile at the corners of Steven's mouth. His sky blue eyes danced as well. "What?"

"You'll see. Follow me."

They left hangar 56 and walked down the hall, farther down the docks. Steven turned a corner, pacing several more meters. As they walked, Hannah sighted more engineers and dock workers, scurrying here and there. Steven finally stopped at a large window that looked out into the docking field.

"Take a look," he said, pointing.

Hannah stared out the window. Stars were only partially visible. A large dreadnought under construction took up most of the view. It was a sight to behold, dominating the landscape. She saw flickers of fire bloom and suffocate as workers in enviro-suits welded pieces of the ship together.

"Kilimanjaro class," Hannah observed.

Steven nodded. "It's going to be a fine ship, fresh on the inside, equipped with all the latest technology available…And she needs a captain."

Hannah swung her head in Steven's direction. The way he said that last bit…was he saying what she thought he was saying?

Steven now grinned. "I specifically asked for you and Mikhail put in a glowing recommendation. Your promotion has yet to come through official channels, but it's a go. That ship'll be yours in a few months…Captain."

Hannah couldn't find the words. She gawked at the dreadnought, nothing but a shell at the moment. But soon, it would take shape, growing into a beauty of a giant. And it would be under her command. She could hardly believe it. She'd wanted a ship for so long, a real ship, not just the tiny Agrippa.

"It's about time you were promoted," Steven said, smiling at her inability to speak. "It's long over due, in fact. I figured dropping your own career to save humanity's first Spectre deserved some kind of reward."

"It's…I just…thanks," Hannah eventually managed to stammer out.

"Oh, I don't deserve as much credit as you think I do. Your record is impeccable and impressive. All I had to do was get the ball rolling."

Hannah kept gazing out the window. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look at Steven who was trying to hold back a laugh. "You've got leave until it's finished. Enjoy it. Once you become mother of that bird, you won't rest much at all."

Hannah smiled slightly. "Yeah, good point."

"I've got a meeting I need to keep. See you later, Captain."

"Yes, Admiral," she answered, saluting. "Thank you again."

"My pleasure." Steven left, but Hannah stayed next to the window, enthralled with the prospect of skimming the stars in a dreadnought under her direct control.

"Oh!" she heard Steven call out. She peered at him over her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"The crew will be assigned by the Alliance, except they'll let you pick an Executive Officer. They figure you know enough people in the Navy who'd be good in the position."

"Got it."

Steven ambled off down the hall. Hannah looked at the dreadnought outside the window. She did know a lot of people in the Navy. And even though he wasn't exactly the most strict or orthodox of officers, she knew exactly who she wanted by her side on her ship.

* * *

Hannah punched the panel outside the door for the second time, impatient for an answer. She tapped her foot, waiting, rubbing her hands. When there was still no response, she hit the panel again. _He could be out_, she thought. But they'd just come back, so she found that unlikely.

Suddenly, the door swooshed open and Lucas stood there in a pair of navy pants and a white undershirt. His hair was wet and he was rubbing it with a towel.

"Oh no," he said, dropping his hands. "What this time?"

"I don't need you _right_ now," Hannah said. "But can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure. Just give me a second to clean up." He eyed Hannah suspiciously. She guessed the grin on her face had something to do with his uneasiness. She couldn't help it. She was trying to maintain a professional demeanor, but she was just too darn excited.

Lucas walked back to his bedroom. Hannah skimmed his apartment. Honestly, she hadn't been in it much, only once or twice. As a rule, she kept her relationship with Lucas strictly limited to the Kilimanjaro. She still feared his feelings for her, but she valued his friendship too much to cut him off. Of all the people in her life, he was the one she counted on the most to have her back at all times. He was just the kind of man she'd need as her second in command.

Lucas returned to the living room, his hair combed, wearing a dark purple pull over. "Tea?"

Hannah raised her eyebrows. "Tea?" she echoed, surprised.

"I want something to relax me, something comfortable, but that won't dull my brain for the next several hours."

Hannah smiled and nodded. As Lucas stepped into his kitchenette, she contemplated her friend. She'd never thought he would be the tea-type. She imagined him with a beer in his hand, not a delicate porcelain cup. As she waited, she glanced down and saw his data pad sitting on the coffee table, a message on its display. She hadn't planned on intruding and reading his mail, but the name of the sender caught her eye: _-K ._ Keta? Hannah read the message.

_Oh, so that's how you want to play, is it? Next time I see you, we'll just have to see who's the best shot. You're going down, grufax. Take care. –K_

Take care? Hannah turned her attention back to the kitchenette, watching Lucas pour hot water into two mugs. She suddenly felt she'd missed something back on the Agrippa.

Lucas sauntered back into the living room and handed her a mug with a tea strainer in it. "You want sugar?"

"No, this is fine."

Lucas sat back in an easy chair and sighed loudly. "Good to be home." He placed his mug on the table and rubbed his back.

"Your injury alright?"

"Oh, it's mostly healed really. Just an ache now and then."

Hannah decided to venture a little. "So, you heard from Keta?"

"Huh?" Lucas' startled face amused her. His eyes darted to the data pad and then back at her. "Uh…only a little message here and there. Making sure she's okay, you know?"

"Uh huh," Hannah said, intoning quietly. Was something brewing between Lucas and Keta? Because if it was, she found that entirely weird. "How is she?"

"Great. Good. I don't know where she is. She won't say. Protecting herself, you know." Lucas found his tea interesting, picking it up again and concentrating on it, tapping his fingers on the mug.

"That's good," Hannah commented, dipping the strainer in and out of the water in her mug.

"So, what's up?" Lucas asked, now looking at her again. Hannah thought he seemed eager to change the subject.

Hannah smiled widely. "There's a new dreadnought being built. I'm going to be the Captain."

"What? Wow. Congratulations." Lucas grinned at her.

"And the thing is, you know the brass will choose the crew, but they're letting me choose my own Executive Officer." Her smile broadened even further.

Lucas tilted his head. "And…"

"Lucas, you've always been there for me, no matter what. You've been loyal, you're skilled, you know the Kilimanjaro backwards and forwards. So, I'd like to ask you to be my XO."

Lucas dropped his mug onto the coffee table again. "You serious?"

Hannah laughed. "Yes. I want you on my ship."

Lucas chuckled and tapped the coffee table with his fingers. "I never thought of myself as XO material," he said thoughtfully.

"I'll agree you aren't typical, but I don't want typical. When you're working on a puzzle, you're as good as anyone else trained in the Navy. But I don't want just anyone else. What you have is the ability to unify a crew. Everyone on the Kilimanjaro loves you. You're a natural at getting people to lower their guards and make connections. That's what I need in an XO, someone who can be a trusted conduit between me and the crew."

Lucas nodded, thinking over what Hannah had said. "It's a great pay raise, that's for sure." His eyes now twinkled. "I accept, Red."

"Good. But don't you dare ever call me Red in front of any of the crew. You got that?"

Lucas laughed at the mock severity in her tone. "Never. Got it."

"Well, then," Hannah said, taking a sip of her tea. "Welcome aboard, Commander." She held out her hand and Lucas shook it.

"Thanks, Captain." Lucas leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea contentedly. "So, when does this new ship get under way?"

"A few months. I've got leave. You'll probably get it, too, once I inform Steven who I've picked as Executive Officer."

"Good. I need the rest," Lucas said, laying his head back on the chair.

"You'll get it. I doubt we'll see any action for a long time."

As it would turn out, Hannah was right about her ship. It wouldn't see action for a while. But she was entirely wrong about herself.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone who's following this story! Stay tuned for the next chapter. Circumstances are about to draw Hannah and Jane back together again.


	28. Sovereign

Hannah turned off the television. She'd just finished watching a new movie by Tukalack, the elcor who produced abstract films. When she'd first stumbled upon his films, she'd been surprised something to do with an elcor could entrance her so completely. If she had a bad day, a Tukalack film would relax her instantly. Maybe it was the lack of heavy action or the monotone of the elcor. Whatever it was, it usually lulled her into contentment, but not today.

She sighed and picked up her data pad, thumbing back to read the newest book she'd acquired: _Shakespearean Themes in Alien Literature_. It wasn't her typical reading. She still hadn't embraced Shakespeare lovingly, but Daniel had read all the plays and had been able to quote them in apt circumstances. So the title had caught her eye and the idea of universal themes in literature intrigued her enough to give it a chance. Still, she hadn't moved quickly through it. She was only on the second chapter: "Hamlet, the Oedipus Complex and Krogan Legends."

After only a couple minutes, Hannah set the data pad on her stomach as she lay on her small love seat, her feet dangling over one armrest. She'd thought she'd enjoy a few months off after the adventure to discover whoever'd threatened Jane, but after a week, she was going stir crazy. She wanted to be back on a ship, putting her mind to work in a familiar and comfortable environment. At heart, what she really wanted was something to distract from her anxiety over Jane. This morning she'd received a message from Jane, the first one in a while. It had caused alarm bells to ring in her mind.

_Mom, I know I haven't been communicating of late. I wish I could. I really want to talk to you, to have one of our heart to heart chats. I need it. Jules sent me the message. We disposed of the program. I hate that he did this to me. I'm trying to get over it. My mission takes most of my time, though, so I don't think about it much._

_Mom, I love you. I want you to know that. If anything happens, I just want to be sure you know I love you and I think you're the best mom in the galaxy. Please take care of yourself and don't lose your head over me. Love, Jane._

The message had seemed so final, like Jane thought she might not return from wherever she was now headed. Jane never ended her e-mails with "love"; it was always simply "Jane." Hannah felt she was in the wrong place. She should be by Jane's side, protecting her daughter. But she reminded herself that long ago she'd made the decision not to hold Jane back through her mother worries. Jane was living her own life now, separate from her, and that was the way it should be. But the fact that it was right didn't make it any easier on Hannah.

Hannah closed her eyes. She conjured up an image of Daniel and Jane when she was just three. How happy they had been! Life seemed so simple then. She wished times like those could be relived any time you wanted, that worries and losses could be set to the side and memory come to life again. She was startled to feel wetness under her eyelids. She wiped a hand over her eyes. She hadn't cried for Daniel in a long time. But her heart had been softened as she reminisced. She opened her eyes and fingered the tiny rocket around her neck like always.

"I miss you," she whispered to Daniel. It would have been so much easier to weather Jane's dangerous career if Daniel had been next to her, quelling her motherly tendencies by telling her that Jane would be alright.

Hannah sat up. She was too melancholy all alone. She determined she needed to be around people and not spend her leave moping in her solitary apartment. She walked into her bedroom and took stock of herself in the full length mirror. She wore relaxed duds, sweats and a t-shirt. If she was going out, she should look better. She slid back her closet door to choose a more appropriate blouse, but before she decided on one, a beep sounded in the room. She looked to her bedside stand. Someone was calling her. She walked over and picked up her comm, stuffing it in her ear.

"Yes?"

"Hannah, it's Steven."

"Hi. What do you need?"

"I want you to get your uniform on and head over to docking bay 23. Meet me on board the Fuji in ten minutes time. If you aren't there, I'll have to order her to go on without you."

"What's going on?"

"I don't have time now. I'll tell you when you get on board. You'll want to be there. Trust me. Hackett out."

Hannah stared for one more second at the mirror, then went into action, throwing on her uniform, securing her red hair in a bun and grabbing her bag that she hadn't yet unpacked from her excursion on the Agrippa. Her blood raced. She didn't know what was happening, but she heard the urgency in Steven's voice. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

* * *

As Hannah made her way to docking bay 23, she observed a flurry of activity. Maintenance workers and engineers rushed up and down halls and servicemen were everywhere. She got the impression that the entire Fifth Fleet had been called to mobilize. With one minute to spare, she reached the docking hatch to the Fuji. She was greeted by a young woman in a freshly pressed uniform with short blonde hair standing alert with a data pad in her hand.

"And you are…" the girl asked.

"Captain Hannah Shepard."

The girl scanned her list. "I don't see you on here."

"Admiral Hackett told me to meet him here."

"Oh. He's in the command center. Just a moment." The girl touched her right ear. "Admiral Hackett, Captain Shepard is here…Yes, sir." The girl looked to Hannah. "You're cleared. You can go straight to the command center."

Hannah strode quickly through the dreadnought to the command center. When she entered, she saw Steven standing at the head of a group of captains with a couple other admirals, Mehra and Caron. Steven was addressing them in an authoritative voice.

"We received the call one standard hour ago. The Normandy is in-bound and should arrive within twenty minutes time. When she arrives, we'll head out immediately. I want everyone in formation and ready to go in ten minutes. Dismissed."

The captains and admirals funneled out of the room in an orderly but hurried fashion. Hannah stepped to the side to let them pass, then marched up to Steven who was running his hand through his goatee.

"Is Jane coming here? What's going on?"

"Jane's not on board the Normandy."

Hannah felt her stomach churn. "Where is she?"

"Ilos."

"That's deep in the Terminus Systems and a Prothean world. I thought we couldn't reach it, that the relay to it was lost." Why in the world was Jane there?

"Jane found the information to locate it."

"Was that her mission?"

"No, but I really don't have time to explain her mission. In a nutshell, Jane was sent after Saren, the rogue Spectre, and he's the one who found the relay and went to Ilos. Jane went after him. But her ship left and came back to Alliance space to let us know that the Citadel's in danger. Saren is going to try and take control of the Citadel.

"So, we're going to the Citadel.

"As soon as the Normandy gets here, we'll head out."

Back to the Citadel. Hannah silently wondered why it was _always_ the Citadel. That station seemed to be the center of more trouble than any place in the entire galaxy, even Omega.

"I understand. So what do you need from me? How can I assist?"

"I want you on the bridge, to lend your experience and advice when needed."

Hannah nodded curtly. "Yes, sir."

Steven then put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You'll aid us, I'm sure. But that's not the real reason I asked you here. Your daughter's in danger. Her pilot informed us she's looking for something called the Conduit, possibly a super weapon that Saren wants, presumably to attack the Citadel. I have a feeling in my gut that Jane's going to end up at the Citadel. I knew you'd want to be there. The worst thing for a parent is sitting by and not being able to do anything for your child."

Hannah considered Steven. He was right and she was grateful he'd asked her to come along. But when he talked about the feelings a parent felt for his child, it sounded like he spoke out of personal experience, though she hadn't thought he'd ever fallen in love. He had never married. Marriage and military, he said, didn't mix for most people. He'd given himself to the Alliance and she was his only wife.

"Thank you for letting me come."

Steven inclined his head, acknowledging her thanks. "You can go to the bridge. Captain Turay is expecting your presence."

Hannah saluted to Steven who returned the gesture. As she left the center, Hannah glanced back to see Steven rubbing his goatee again. She didn't envy him the heavy task ahead. If what she had just been told was accurate, they were headed into the firefight of the century. She prayed Jane found this ultimate weapon, this Conduit, before the rogue Spectre did. She recalled Anderson's declaration that if anyone could complete the mission Jane was on, it was her. Jane would stop this Saren, Hannah told herself. She was sure of it.

* * *

Five minutes after her talk with Steven, Hannah felt the Fuji get underway, the slight sense of movement almost imperceptible except to someone who had worked in space as long as Hannah had. The Fuji took up its position, waiting for the arrival of the Normandy. In seven more minutes time, a voice crackled through the comm.

"This is the Normandy. We're here and ready to punch it to the Citadel."

Hannah focused on Steven who spoke into the comm connected to the entire fleet. "Normandy, this is Admiral Hackett. We're ready. Take up lead position and we'll follow you out. The relays to the Citadel have been cleared."

"Aye, sir."

The Fuji surged forward. Hannah felt the tremble as the relay caught the dreadnought in its grip and flung it far ahead into space. It would take four jumps to get to the Citadel. Hannah felt the second jump happen just as the first, then the third. One more and they would be at the Citadel, ready to defend her. Hannah's heart pumped harshly as her mind focused for the task at hand.

"Something's wrong," came the voice of the Normandy's pilot. "The relay isn't responding."

Steven looked to the Fuji's communications officer. "Anything?"

"No, sir," the officer said, his reply dutiful, but his eyes fearful. "There's no communication at all. It's like the Citadel's gone dark."

Hannah breathed quickly. Was the Citadel gone? Had this Conduit weapon been deployed?

"Hold position," Steven spoke to the fleet. "We'll wait. Be ready to head through the relay if it opens." He eyed Hannah and nodded to her, trying to encourage her not to give up hope yet.

* * *

Ten more minutes passed with nothing happening. Hannah paced back and forth on the bridge, her hands behind her back, maintaining her composure. She thought little, pushing any "what if" scenarios out of her mind. When the comm cackled to life again, she stopped and listened intently.

"…the Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat, the Council is on board."

The Normandy's pilot responded immediately. "Normandy to Citadel. Normandy to Citadel. Please tell me that's you, Commander."

"I'm here, Joker." Hannah sucked in a breath at the voice. It was Jane. She was still alive and on the Citadel. Steven turned his head to her and sent her a look that proclaimed "told you so." She nodded once at him.

The pilot called Joker went on speaking with Jane. "We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in."

There was a pause of a few seconds, as if Jane was considering what command to issue. Joker spoke again urgently. "What's the order, Commander! Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?"

"Opening the relays now, Joker," Jane's determined voice responded. "We need to save the Ascension—no matter what the cost!"

Hannah felt her chest swell with pride. Jane had made the right decision, even when it was hard. It would have been so easy for her to protect the Alliance fleet, have them hold back and let the Citadel's fleet try and save the Council or tell the Alliance fleet to aid her and defend the Citadel. Jane knew the importance and value of the galactic council, putting herself to the side to save them. _If she makes it through this, I'm gonna throw her one heck of a party,_ Hannah thought to herself.

"The relays are open, sir," the communications officer called out.

"Alliance ships move in!" Steven spoke into the comm, "Save the Destiny Ascension."

The fleet jumped through the last relay and came screaming into the middle of an already intense battle. Hannah scanned the tactical map. The number of enemy ships was overwhelming. Their identities began to pop up in a list at the side of the map, most of them geth. Hannah and the XO of the Fuji, Freeman, a man about her age with dark hair beginning to gray, began to discuss and issue recommendations to Captain Turay. All thoughts of Jane and the outcome of the battle fled from Hannah's mind as she became consumed with tactics and strategy.

In only a few minutes, the Alliance fleet punched a hole to the Ascension and took up a position surrounding the asari ship, shielding her. Fighters had been scrambled and were pouring out of the fleet, taking the geth ships out in rapid succession.

Joker's voice exclaimed triumphantly, "Destiny Ascension, you are all clear. Repeat—you are all clear."

"Sir!" an officer shouted out to Steven. "The Citadel's arms are opening."

"There's a ship in there," Joker's voice came back. "Sovereign. We need to take it down."

Hannah tapped the controls at the tactical map and brought up a profile of this Sovereign received by the Normandy. It looked like a beetle with jointed legs. Hannah dispersed the image to the entire fleet so they'd know what they were aiming for. She nodded to Steven.

"The Citadel's opening!" Steven called to the fleet. "All ships move in! Concentrate on Sovereign!"

Hannah could hardly comprehend the fact that she'd been on the Citadel a little over a week ago and now it was under attack. She wondered briefly if Anderson had been on station when it came under fire. She hoped her daughter's stand-in father was alive. She didn't want Jane to lose another person so important in her life.

The fleet moved inside the Citadel arms as they opened, taking aim at the ship that had attached itself to the Citadel tower. It looked like the fleet was going to be the savior of the moment as it pummeled the ship with all its weapons—until Sovereign unleashed its own countermeasure, blasting at the fleet with some kind of energy weapon. It took out a couple frigates in only moments.

"Avoid that beam!" Steven shouted out. Hannah and Freeman kept their eyes on the tactical map, relaying positions and informing Hackett of Sovereign's status. Hannah watched as Alliance ships disappeared from the map, destroyed by the ship called Sovereign. Slowly, however, Sovereign was weakening. Then, all of a sudden, Hannah heard Joker's voice again.

"Its shields are down! Now's our chance!"

"Hit it with everything we've got!" Steven bellowed into the comm.

The fleet moved towards the enormous ship, firing every weapon it possessed.

"Hard on my flank! We're going in!" Joker returned. Hannah traced the Normandy's signal on the map as it pulled up and then plunged in towards the enemy ship. Her heart thumped wildly and she felt as if her own will was flying right along with her daughter's ship, pushing it to achieve its objective. The Normandy fired and the enemy blip that was Sovereign flickered out. Shouts of triumph raised from the bridge of the Fuji as well as from the comm as the Alliance celebrated its victory. In the midst of the cheers, an officer approached Steven.

"Sir," he said quietly. "I just watched debris plummet into the Citadel Tower. Shepard's in there."

Hannah's heart dropped into her stomach. They may have saved the Citadel, but at the cost of Jane's life. _Don't take her from me, please_, Hannah pleaded inside. She abruptly marched over to the communications officer.

"Raise anyone on the Citadel you can!"

The officer went to work, taking longer than Hannah thought would be needed. Was there anyone alive inside? What had this rogue Spectre done to the thriving heart of the galaxy?

"I have someone, ma'am."

"Connect me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Citadel, this is Captain Hannah Shepard. Do you hear me?"

"Captain? You got a promotion, huh?"

Hannah smiled despite the dire circumstances. "Anderson. Thank goodness."

"The Citadel's in bad shape," he went on. "We've got wounded that need help. We had to hide civilians from geth troopers. Some of them are still on the station. We'll need help clearing them out."

Hannah turned to Steven. "We need to send in marines to the Citadel. They have geth troopers on station."

Steven put his hand to his ear, issuing orders while Hannah continued her call with Anderson.

"David, Jane's in the Citadel Tower. It's been hit by debris."

"On my way." Hannah's comm went dead. All she could do now was wait for a call back and pray Jane had made it.

* * *

Minutes slipped by. Hannah didn't know how long it would take Anderson to get to the Citadel Tower if geth troopers were still on the station. The assessment of the fleet had begun, reports being compiled that recorded which ships had been lost, which were in critical condition and which had taken insignificant damage. It was clear that although they had won, it had come at a cost. Hundreds of human lives had been sacrificed to save the Council and the Citadel.

Had one more life been sacrificed? Had Jane's destiny been achieved? Hannah couldn't help but consider that maybe Jane had been born to die saving the Citadel from a rogue Spectre. And if that was her destiny, Hannah asked herself if she could accept that. She would have to, somehow.

Thirty minutes passed, then forty, then fifty. Still no word. Hannah kept to her duties, gathering reports and monitoring communications. Then, she heard rough static in her ear and Anderson's deep voice.

"Captain Shepard?"

"I'm here."

"We've got her. She's hurt, but she's alive."

"Thank you." The words hardly expressed the flood of relief that filled Hannah on the inside. She hadn't been asked to give up her daughter to save the galaxy, not yet anyway.

* * *

It took a couple hours for the Alliance Fleet to reassemble and evaluate its status. Finally, the Fuji docked with the Citadel and Hannah asked for permission to disembark. Steven agreed readily, insisting she give her daughter his most hearty thanks and congratulations.

Hannah bolted off the ship, making for the Normandy which had docked long before the Fuji. She assumed Jane would have been taken to her ship for medical assistance as the Citadel was in a shambles. She picked her way through debris and the remains of decimated geth to where the Normandy had docked. An asari stood outside the docking hatch, talking to several human crew members. She walked up to the group and the asari looked over to her with curiosity, then recognition.

"You're Shepard's mother," she said in a soft, demure voice. Hannah nodded to the young asari—of course, she only appeared young by human standards. Hannah would bet the asari was years older than her. "Liara T'Soni," she introduced, holding out a hand to Hannah. Hannah shook it.

"Captain Hannah Shepard."

"I think she's with Dr. Chakwas. Follow me."

Hannah fell in step next to the asari as they boarded the Normandy. Jane's ship didn't appear any worse for wear. As they passed the cockpit, Hannah spied a young bearded man with braces on his legs leaning against a seat and chatting with a young woman with dark hair pulled up in a bun. They seemed to be trying to one up each other, making bold claims about the battle that had just taken place.

"_I_ took out Sovereign single-handedly," the pilot said and Hannah recognized the voice of Joker.

"Right. You had the help of how many Alliance ships? If we hadn't taken Saren out on the ground, you wouldn't have even been able to kill Sovereign."

"You were useless without Shepard."

"What do you think I was doing in that tower, Joker? Spending time at a beauty parlor?"

Their voices faded as Hannah followed the asari through the CIC. As they walked, Hannah spoke tentatively. "How badly is she hurt?"

"Oh," Liara said, looking compassionately at Hannah. "She's fine, actually. I mean, her arm's injured, broken in three places. But it's been stabilized. She should make a full recovery by the end of the week."

"Then why is she with a doctor?"

"One of our crew, Garrus, was wounded. Ashley was, too, but she's not bad at all. She was in the cockpit with Joker, our pilot."

Hannah nodded. So Jane was watching over her crew, still more concerned with them than herself. Typical Jane.

"How did you know I was her mother?" she asked, curious.

The asari smiled gently. "You look like each other. And…I shared the experiences of her mind at one point." She paused, then added quickly. "Only to discover information about the Protheans, but…well…some feelings and impressions are tied so closely to a person, it's hard not to pick up on them. You're present in a large portion of her thoughts."

Hannah had heard of the asari ability to touch minds. She was pleased to hear that Jane thought about her after all, that no matter how far apart they were in distance or time, Jane still kept her old mother in her heart.

The asari led Hannah down a stairwell. When they reached the bottom, Hannah trailed the asari to medical. Windows into the room allowed her to peer inside. She saw Jane bent over with her hands on a table, talking to the medical officer, a gray haired woman. A turian laid on one of the beds, apparently unconscious. Hannah smiled inwardly. Jane had always found turians interesting. She must have been thrilled to have one on her team.

The door to medical opened and Liara spoke. "Shepard, your mother's here."

"What?" Jane exclaimed, turning abruptly. "Mom? What are you doing here? You're not assigned to the Fifth Fleet."

"I will be. I'm going to be captain soon of its newest flagship."

Jane grinned broadly. "You deserve it." She moved the few steps to Hannah and shook her hand heartily. Hannah could tell she was maintaining a professional air, but behind her daughter's eyes was the desire to communicate feelings she couldn't voice in front of her crew. "Doctor, let me know when Garrus wakes up."

"I will, Commander. The surgery was successful. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thanks." Jane looked at Hannah. "Let's go to my quarters."

As they exited the medical room, Hannah glimpsed at Jane's left arm, secured in a brace. "How are you?"

"Physically?"

Hannah nodded.

"I'll be fine considering part of a giant Reaper flattened me. I was lucky." Her voice had quieted at the end and Hannah perceived the change in Jane as she became introspective, drawing inward to her thoughts and feelings. Soon, Hannah knew the floodgates would open—but not until they were alone.

She followed Jane to her quarters on the other side of the ship across from medical. Her quarters were simple, much like Hannah's had been on the Kilimanjaro. Still, they were comfortable. When the door shut, Jane enveloped Hannah in a tight hug, then she pulled back and smiled grimly.

"It's good to see you. More than good. So much has happened, I can hardly get my mind around it all." She collapsed onto her small couch and Hannah sat next to her. Jane opened her mouth and her story came pouring out in the safety of her mother, the one person she could unload on without losing any respect. Hannah found out that Jane had been made a Spectre for the express purpose of tracking down the rogue Spectre, Saren. She'd followed him throughout the galaxy, going to Noveria, then Feros, then Virmire. She paused then, her voice faltering and her eyes moistening.

"I had to choose…to go back to the bomb site and Ashley or to Kaidan and the tower."

Hannah placed a hand empathetically on Jane's knee. How many times had she been in the same situation, choosing to rescue this or that group of marines or fighters and not another? Too many for her comfort. It was even worse when your friends were involved. In those moments, you had to rely on your objective judgment and not your feelings, to complete the mission regardless of how you felt.

"The bomb had to go off," Jane continued. "It was more important than the tower. So I went back and made sure…and Kaidan died."

Hannah breathed deeply. Jane leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and head in her hands. "You know the worst of it," she went on. "Ashley blamed herself. It wasn't even her decision; it was mine. I alone was responsible."

"You aren't responsible," Hannah said confidently. "Saren was responsible. You wouldn't have been there if it weren't for him. When you defend others, always remember an enemy is making you do it, making you put your people in danger to save lives."

Jane looked up at her, her chin now resting on folded hands. "This is why I needed to talk to you. You always make things sound…clear."

Hannah breathed in slowly. "It's easier to say than do. I've beaten myself up good over choices I've made that cost people's lives." She paused, thinking of herself and Jane. "We're cursed, Jane. We have hearts."

Jane straightened, nodding and contemplating her fingers, lacing them in and out of each other. "I haven't written his parents yet. I didn't have time to find the right words, not when stopping Saren was still my top priority. I've needed time to think…He didn't deserve to go down like that. Not after all he'd been through."

"Just tell them what he meant to you, how he was a part of your team and how he knew the risks and gave himself anyway. Let them know how proud you are of him and that they should be proud, too."

Jane's head bobbed. "It's even harder because I know Lourdes."

Hannah touched Jane's shoulder. "Lourdes married a ship's captain. She knows the risks that come with the job."

"Yeah."

"From Virmire, then, I assume you went to Ilos," Hannah said, prompting Jane to move on from her feeling of failure to the fact that she had been victorious this day.

"Not directly," Jane said, picking up her narrative. She'd gone back to the Citadel, called home by the Council and its inter-species fleet, but what she had thought would be a fleet assembled to assist her push to Ilos turned out to be a fleet commanded only to secure the relays to the Citadel. The Council had no intention of sending her to Ilos. Jane had objected and the Normandy had been locked down by Udina. When Jane mentioned Udina, Hannah snorted derisively and Jane eyed her quizzically.

"I kind of had a run in with him while you were on your mission."

Jane's eyebrows creased. "Mom? What have you been up to?"

"You finish first."

"Well, Captain Anderson helped me, went to Udina's office and unlocked the controls and then we made for Ilos."

Hannah smiled. Anderson had acted as the father bear he claimed he was. He'd made sure Jane got the help she needed. Jane continued on, explaining how at Ilos they'd encountered a Prothean VI who told them that a great war had taken place against the Protheans perpetrated by Reapers, vast ships like Sovereign that destroyed all organic life in the galaxy. They came every 50,000 years and the time had come for them to arrive again. Sovereign had been left as a vanguard. When the signal Sovereign sent to activate the Citadel wasn't responded to, Sovereign had to find a way to take control of the Citadel, actually a mass relay itself, and activate it. It had used Saren to this end, indoctrinating him for its nefarious purposes. The Conduit, it turned out, was only a backdoor onto the Citadel through a miniature mass relay, not a super weapon. Saren's goal had been to assault the Citadel from the inside with geth forces and then give Sovereign control over the station. And so Jane had followed Saren to the Citadel. He'd been defeated and Sovereign destroyed.

"You know how they say your life flashes before your eyes when you're going to die?" Jane suddenly said, breaking from her story at the destruction of Sovereign.

"Yes," Hannah said. What had Jane seen when debris from Sovereign rained down on her?

"Well, they're wrong. At least, in my case, they are. I didn't see my life. I saw the people that were important to me. And you and dad were the first I saw."

Hannah felt her eyes tear up and she raised a hand to wipe at them. "If you'd died Jane, I don't know if I could go on."

Jane took Hannah's right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You could, mom. You're strong. You went on without dad and I know you could without me. That's why I wrote you before I went to Ilos. If I didn't come back, I didn't want you to waste your life away mourning over me."

Hannah took a breath and coughed. "Well, you're here. So I don't have to worry about that, do I?"

Jane shook her head. "But, mom. It's not over. What I saw in those Prothean visions—it's going to get bad really fast if the galaxy doesn't prepare. Sovereign didn't open the relay, but that doesn't mean the Reapers won't be coming. They're on their way, headed straight for us."

Hannah felt a chill tingle down her spine. She knew Jane was right. The Reapers would come and Jane would be right in the thick of it trying to stop them. She would expect nothing less of her daughter.

"Well, you seem to have a loyal crew. That doctor I met, T'Soni, she said she's touched your mind."

Jane leaned back against the couch and propped her right arm up on the armrest. "She needed to see the visions, interpret them. She's a good friend, with a soft heart. Her mother, on the other hand…"

"What about her?"

"She tried to kill us on Noveria. She was indoctrinated by Sovereign, too."

"The crazed biotic," Hannah said, putting two and two together.

"Yeah. Liara was devastated seeing her mom go down like that. All I could think was how awful it would be if your mother turned on you." She sighed sadly.

"So, you picked up an asari…and a turian."

Jane smiled broadly. "Garrus. You should see him work a sniper rifle. You'd be impressed. He'd give you a run for your money."

"And you?"

"Oh, I think I could take him, but it would be a challenge. He's too good."

"How did he end up on your crew?"

"He was in C-Sec, investigating Saren until the Executor ordered him to lay off. He couldn't, so he joined up with us."

Hannah chuckled. "He sounds a lot like you, absconding with the Normandy and all."

"In some ways. He's a bit more heavy handed, more shoot first and think it over later if he's got a stick in his craw."

Hannah laughed. She wasn't surprised Jane had found aliens willing to follow her. Jane's love of alien languages had probably come in handy.

"I also had a krogan and a quarian join me."

Now Hannah raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You've been busy."

"This mission took me from one end of the galaxy to the other and they just kept coming. Good crew. I'd trust my life to any of them. They're more than crew now really, they're friends, too…So what about you? You met Udina?"

It was Hannah's turn to relate her own adventure. Jane was visibly flustered when Jules was mentioned. When Hannah recounted who Keta was, Jane had laughed aloud.

"You think _I'm_ picking up aliens? You're friends with a batarian. Humans hate them more than anything. Even people who like aliens usually make an exception for them."

Hannah laughed, too. "Keta's unique."

"I'll say."

Hannah went on to describe how she and her own team had ended up on the Citadel, finding Giovanna, meeting Udina, then getting help from Anderson. She left out the part where she and Anderson had shared a drink. Some things weren't meant for Jane's ears.

When Hannah finished, Jane shook her head. "Terra Firma. I despise them…even more now. And Saracino? Was he really that mad I wouldn't support him for a seat in Parliament?"

"Oh, you know him."

"He asked me to support his bid when I was here once. I couldn't for obvious reasons."

"Well, you're safe from him now."

Jane guffawed loudly. "You know, mom, after everything I've fought, Saracino seems like nothing but an annoying bug I could smash with my foot."

Hannah giggled. "Now that I would like to see."

"But don't get me wrong. Thanks for having my back."

"Always," Hannah promised.

A silence fell over the room. Mother and daughter seemed to have reached the end of their conversation until Jane asked one more question.

"Captain. How did that happen?"

"Steven put in a word for me."

"The flagship of the Fifth Fleet. That's way up there. I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you, too, kiddo. Everything you've done, your resolve, your heart. I don't think I know a better woman in the galaxy." Hannah stared at her daughter. Yes, she was truly a woman now. She'd had experiences that Hannah thought had matured and aged her daughter far beyond her years.

"I don't know about that," Jane stated, looking down, her face reddening.

"And, Jane," Hannah said, touching her daughter's arm to get her attention. Jane looked up at her. "I'm going to be here for you. If these Reapers are coming, we'll be ready." Hannah made a vow to herself: If Jane was going to be deep in the thick of a war against these Reapers, she wouldn't leave her daughter alone. She'd make darn sure she was in the middle, too.


	29. Loss

The Battle of the Citadel, as it came to be called, resulted in the uplifting of humanity. Because the Arcturus Fleet had been instrumental in saving the Council, it was awarded the prestigious Palladium Star, proclaiming it's gallantry in battle. Even better, humanity had been honored with a seat on the Council. Hannah had been pleased to learn that Jane recommended David Anderson for the position over Donnel Udina. Hannah agreed heartily, her run-in with Udina having left her disillusioned as to the man's ability to put the needs of humanity above himself. Anderson would commend the value of action to a council all too often passive in its approach to running the galaxy.

Hannah had hoped that Jane would be given leave and they could spend some time together, maybe vacationing back in Michigan, but Jane rejected any suggestion that she take a sabbatical. Jane was convinced these Reapers would come soon and that no time could be wasted. Even though Hannah tried to argue she needed time to rejuvenate, Jane allowed herself only a couple days of rest at the Citadel, then she and her team sailed back out into the galaxy to find a way to stop the Reapers. Hannah had committed to Jane's cause, vowing that once her ship was ready, she'd be there to assist as needed. Hannah had assumed the Alliance would make preparing for these Reapers top priority.

However, a month after the attack on the Citadel, her promise seemed unlikely to be fulfilled. Potent fear had overtaken the galaxy after the Battle of the Citadel. The political core of the galaxy, trusted as a center of stability, had been brought to its knees by one Spectre and his geth army. People began to doubt the ability of the Citadel Council and its fleet to protect its member races. The Council tried to quell these fears, partially by pointing out that that the humans brought along their impressive firepower when they were granted a seat on the Council. This, however, did little to calm the galaxy. Many aliens had been affronted that relative newcomers on the galactic stage had been granted a position on the Council when their races had waited for years for such a privilege. Vitriol towards humanity poured out of the news on a daily basis, its role in the Battle of the Citadel minimized as loud prejudicial voices rang out against it.

Of course, this caused turmoil in the Alliance Parliament. Terra Firma pushed its paranoid agenda, declaring that humanity sitting on the Citadel Council was collusion with an enemy, that humanity would be manipulated for the Council's purposes rather than the other way around. Anderson was slandered for taking the position. The Parliament ended up split down the middle. It spent its days arguing over what humanity's focus should be now that it had been promoted in the galactic sphere.

In the midst of all the petty squabbles both in human and alien space, the threat of the Reapers had been laid to the side. The two times Jane had been interviewed, she'd been vocal about her visions and the coming threat. The second interview had been followed by the opinion of a psychiatrist who doubted the stability of the human Spectre's mind. It didn't help that the Council had derided Jane's warnings, contending that the attack on the Citadel had been the lone act of Saren and his geth, that Sovereign was simply a geth construct. They remained reserved on the subject of the Reapers, not wanting to cause widespread panic at a time when the galaxy needed to rebuild trust in its leaders. Anderson hadn't shared their opinions, but they'd kept him out of the limelight, away from reporters or any ears willing to listen to his side of the issue.

Jane had been outraged, as had Hannah, at the way she was treated by the Council. But she'd had little choice in the matter. She was still a Spectre under the authority of the Council and had been sent out by them to clear out the last pockets of geth that still threatened the galaxy. Hannah knew the Council's reason wasn't so much their desire for the geth to be utterly defeated, but that they wanted Jane out of the way where her voice couldn't be heard.

Hannah looked down at the calendar on her data pad. She'd been checking off the days one by one. In three more months, her ship would be ready and she'd have leadership over the flagship of the Arcturus Fleet. It was killing her to wait day by day; she felt wasted sitting around on Arcturus Station. She'd managed to go out with friends, catch up on her reading and review candidates for the crew of her new ship, but she wasn't busy enough to fill her days.

Hannah checked off the latest day, then rubbed her eyes. It was 0300. She'd awoken from a deep slumber, but hadn't been able to go back to sleep. So she checked her e-mail, read a little, then perused her calendar. Now she leaned back on her love seat and turned on the television. A commentator was on, discussing rumors of the supposed Reaper threat.

"Here's the problem," the man with the long beard and graying curly hair was saying, "These Reapers that Commander Shepard said were coming, where are they? We haven't seen anything. Now, maybe some people don't like the Citadel Council, but they seem to know everything about the galaxy. I mean, humanity certainly doesn't. These cultures are hundreds of years older than us. If they say there's no threat, there's no threat."

Hannah angrily slapped the remote control panel, turning off the television. If she listened to those lies, she'd just find herself wanting to punch through her apartment wall. She yawned loudly. Maybe she should just go back to bed and try and sleep. Or maybe…Hannah lay down on the love seat. Maybe she'd just forgo the steps to her bedroom and crash right here.

A chime rang through the living room. Hannah sat up and stared at the door. Who would come calling at this hour? It was true that those on stations didn't keep as regimented schedules as those planetside, but the earliest hours on station virtually came to a standstill as people took to their beds. Hannah walked to the door and pressed the panel to converse with whoever was outside. She didn't feel comfortable opening the door without ascertaining an identity first.

"Yes?"

"It's Steven."

"Oh." Hannah pushed the panel and the door slid open. "Steven, what's up?"

Steven met her puzzled gaze with serious blue eyes. "I take it I didn't wake you up."

Hannah shook her head. "No, I couldn't sleep. Come on in."

Steven passed by her and sat down on the love seat. "I need to talk to you." He held his Navy hat in his hands, fiddling with the brim.

The way he spoke caused Hannah to feel uneasy. Steven's tone proclaimed, "I have to tell you something I don't want to." For a second, Hannah wondered if her promotion to captain had somehow been revoked, but she didn't think Steven would traipse over to her apartment in the middle of the night to tell her that. She sat down next to Steven on the love seat and angled back against the armrest. "So, what do you need to tell me?" Her heart thumped in anticipation.

"You know Jane was sent on a mission to root out the last of the geth forces."

Hannah felt blood pumping through her ears. She put a hand to her neck. "Yes…"

"Her ship was attacked by an unknown enemy. Most of the crew made it out in escape pods." Steven paused, then uncharacteristically put a hand on Hannah's knee. "Jane didn't."

Hannah didn't react. She'd already intuited the news Steven had walked all this way in the middle of the night to bring her. Her mind had become fuzzy, clouded with emotion welling up to the surface. "What happened to her?" she asked almost inaudibly.

"She went back to save her pilot. She got him in an escape pod, but the ship took a hit then that separated her from him. She ejected the pod so he'd be saved."

Hannah nodded slowly. To her dying moment, Jane had put others above herself. She was a rare woman in a selfish galaxy.

Steven tilted his head at Hannah, trying to read her emotions. "We haven't found her body. It may have…burned up in the atmosphere of the planet nearby. I wanted to tell you before you heard it on the news in the morning. It's bound to be all over the television once word gets out."

"Thank you." Hannah's voice came out quiet and tense.

Steven's eyes now projected concern. "Hannah, you can talk to me. I'm here for you."

"Thank you," Hannah repeated, not looking directly at Steven. She was chanting a mantra to herself: _Don't lose it. Don't lose it._ What she wanted was for Steven to get out, to leave her alone. She didn't want to see anyone right now.

"Do you want me to stay and…"

"No," she spoke shortly, with certainty.

"Okay." Steven stood up and walked to the door, but looked back at her before he left. "Call me, please, if you need to talk."

Hannah nodded once. Steven opened the door. The moment it shut behind him, Hannah pulled her knees up to her chest and sat on the love seat, thinking. Jane was gone. And like Daniel, she'd gone unexpectedly, no chance to say good-bye. It was cruel and unfair. She'd only ever loved one man and he'd been taken from her. She'd only had one child and she'd been taken, too. It wasn't right.

Suddenly, not able to contain the harsh beating of her heart anymore, Hannah stood, her anger exploding. She crossed the room and picked up a vase with a fresh bouquet of flowers she'd bought to brighten up her apartment. She swung her arm back, then threw it across the room as hard as she could, watching it shatter against the wall. Water dripped down the wall, following the broken shards.

"It's not fair!" Hannah yelled from the depths of her pain. "It's not fair!" Then the tears came; she couldn't hold them back any longer. Just as with Daniel all those years ago, she heard the unearthly sobs of a life broken to pieces. She slid down to the floor and pulled herself into a tight ball, not caring where she was or what she was doing as grief gripped her heart and strangled her lungs.

Jane, why Jane? She'd been so _good_. Why take her? Why? No answer came to Hannah's questions but the silence of her apartment. Why did good people die? There were so many others that deserved to be taken from the galaxy, but not her daughter and not her husband. Hannah felt an angry growl rush out of her throat and into the room, then more tears came whether she wanted them or not.

Hannah didn't know how long she lay on the floor. After awhile, the tears subsided, but she clung to herself, doubled over, gripping her knees with all her strength. She felt that if she moved even an inch, she'd break and the world would end. So when the chime rang again in her apartment, annoyance flared up within her. She didn't get up. She didn't care who it was. She wasn't going to let them in.

In a couple minutes however, the door slid open of its own accord. "Hannah?" a tentative voice asked.

Hannah forced herself out of her tight ball to a sitting position, not wanting to be found in such a state by Lucas. Her friend stepped into the living room, then sighted her sitting on the floor, knees pulled inward to her chest, not looking at him.

"How'd you get in?" Hannah asked, avoiding the subject of Jane. She didn't want to hear platitudes of sympathy, no matter how many good intentions they came with.

Usually, Lucas would have smiled and bragged. This time he spoke reservedly. "I'm a tech specialist. It was easy to hack the door lock." He walked over and knelt in front of Hannah. "I heard about it on the news. Hannah, I'm sorry."

Hannah still refused to look at him. "Go away, Lucas."

"You can't be alone now. Just, maybe I can sit with you…"

Now Hannah snapped her head up, eyes of rage boring through Lucas. "Leave me alone! Now!"

Lucas pulled back. "Alright, if that's what you want." He stood up and walked back to the door. Hannah heard it swoosh shut. Wrath overtook her mind. She stood up quickly and rushed to her bedroom, flinging open her closet and pulling out the modified sniper rifle Keta had left behind. She threw it over her shoulder and stomped through the apartment and out the door, seeking the one thing she thought would clear her mind and throw off her anguish.

* * *

Hannah perceived it was early morning as she walked, probably not even 0500 yet. She made her way to the military installation, heading straight for its training rooms. She plunged into the shooting range, barely containing the anger boiling in her body. The range was empty. If it hadn't been, she probably would have ordered everyone out. Now she didn't have to waste her breath or energy. She found a stall and gripped the earmuffs, plunking them on her head and over her ears. She took aim at the electronic target and fired a direct shot to the head. She kept firing, the rifle pinging accurately each time, exactly where she wanted the projectiles to go. But she didn't feel better. Her score rose and rose, but it made no difference to her emotions.

_Why isn't this working?!_ Hannah shouted inside. When Daniel had died, shooting had been therapeutic for both Jane _and_ her. Now, it didn't make a dent in her pain. Hannah dropped the rifle and yanked off the ear muffs. This exercise was useless. She swiveled on her heel, not knowing what to do next, when she spied the gym next door through the window of the shooting range. A punching bag hung listlessly in the corner. She left the range and headed straight for the bag.

When Hannah reached the corner, she thrust a rounding kick into the bag, sending it careening backwards. She then pummeled it with her fists, planted it with some more kicks and finally grabbed it around the middle, wanting to squeeze the life out of it. As she did, she shouted at the inanimate object.

"What do I have anymore? There's nothing left for me. Nothing!" It was then it hit her why shooting had accomplished nothing. She had no one to be strong for. When Daniel had died, his death had been tempered by her need to be there for Jane. But there was no one to be there for now; she only had herself, completely alone in an overwhelming galaxy.

She continued to beat the punching bag, making it the target of all the rage and heartbreak inside her. She punched and kicked until her arms and legs ached to the point she couldn't stand anymore. She fell to the floor, breathing rapidly, feeling the sweat pouring down her arms, legs and back. She braced herself on the floor with both her hands, trying to stand, but unable to.

"Feel better?" she heard a voice say quietly. This time, she looked up. Lucas was there.

"You following me?" she spoke accusingly.

"I saw you leave your apartment with a gun. You bet I followed you."

"What? You think I'm going to kill myself?" Hannah spat out, her anger still rich despite the exhaustion in her limbs.

"I don't know, Red. People do those kinds of things when they're really upset."

"Well, I'm not going to kill myself, so you can leave me alone."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Hannah managed to stand up, propelled by her fury. She grabbed Lucas by the collar and shoved him forcefully against the gym wall. "Get out!"

"You want to fight me, I'll oblige," Lucas said sternly. "Just like old times. But I'm not leaving you alone in here."

Hannah stared into Lucas' eyes. He wasn't angry or affronted. He was worried for her. Good old Lucas, loyal as always. Hannah felt guilt wash over her mind and clear her head a little. She let Lucas go and backed up. She stood glaring at him, her breath still coming in short gasps. Lucas straightened, but didn't move away from the wall.

"What's it going to be? You want to fight?" Lucas asked.

Hannah shook her head and the tears came afresh, Hannah cursing their appearance. Lucas crossed the few steps between them and embraced her. She buried her head in his chest and cried, the tears mingling with her sweat, seeping into her mouth. She tasted the saltiness and bit her lip. When Daniel had died, she'd thrown off the tears by telling herself she had to be strong for Jane, become the single mother Jane needed. But what was she now?

"I have no one to be strong for anymore," she muttered. "Nothing to live for."

Lucas pushed her back and gripped her shoulders, staring into her face, his voice earnest. "Yes, you do. You're going to be strong for yourself."

Hannah shook her head. All she'd wanted all her life was to rise in the ranks, get to the top militarily. Now she realized that dream had been utterly selfish. What did her rank matter compared to her family? In truth, they had been the center of her world, not her military life. She knew living for herself would never satisfy her heart.

"You're not going to give up," Lucas stated, shaking her slightly. "You want to honor Jane, then you're going to carry on her fight. You know what they're saying on the news? They're saying that she was a good person, respected by all, but her visions of Reapers were her one flaw. They won't leave her alone, even in death."

Hannah felt indignation rise in her chest. They dared desecrate Jane's memory, now that she'd given her life helping them?

"Hannah," Lucas continued. "We've got to be ready for those Reapers. That's what Jane would want."

Hannah pushed Lucas' hands off her shoulders. "You're right. We'll be ready. When I get my ship, they won't know what hit them." She left Lucas' side and marched back over to the shooting range, picking up the sniper rifle, then headed to the door, a determined look on her face. Those Reapers had caused Jane's death. If it hadn't been for Sovereign indoctrinating Saren, none of this would ever have happened. When the Reapers arrived, they'd find another Shepard standing in their way.

* * *

A week later Hannah received a message in her in-box:

_Captain Shepard, this is Liara T'Soni. I've wanted to write you for some time, but have been unable to find the right words. I decided to give up trying and write anyway. I am so sorry for your—our—loss. We all loved her, each in our own way. She made her team more than tools; we were her close friends. We've each dealt with her loss in different ways. My way is to find her. I wanted to let you know that I have not given up on your daughter. I will find her and bring her back. I thought you should know my plans since you're her mother and she is more your claim than mine. With my condolences, Dr. Liara T'Soni._

Hannah stared numbly at the screen. It was obvious Liara couldn't let go. The lack of a body had bothered Hannah as well, but only for a short while. Jane was gone, whether her body was found or not. Hannah tapped the screen to reply.

_Dr. T'Soni, thank you for your message, but you don't need to find her. She's gone. We have to accept that. We need to fight the Reapers for her, not obsess over her body. I've let her go. You need to do the same. Captain Hannah Shepard._

Even as she reread the message, Hannah chided herself. She hadn't let Jane go yet—far from it. But she lied to force Liara to deal with the truth. Jane wasn't coming back. There was no use passing time clinging to idle hope. It was time for dealing with the present.

"Admiral Hackett will see you now."

Hannah looked up at Hackett's secretary, the blonde who'd been stationed at the Fuji before the Battle of the Citadel. She stood up and marched into Steven's office. As she did, she spoke to herself inside: _The time for mourning is over. I want my revenge_.

"Hannah, how are you?" Steven asked compassionately.

Hannah ignored his question. "Cut the preliminaries, Steven," she spat out, "and tell me how we're going to take down these Reapers."


	30. Return

Hannah paced Steven's office, waving her hands in the air, clearly upset. "It dishonors her memory!"

"Calm down, Hannah," Steven demanded, sitting behind his desk with his hands on its tabletop.

"I won't calm down! It's insulting. They just want to keep me quiet."

"Do you blame them?" Steven questioned her. "For two years all you've done when interviewed or talked to is pontificate about Jane's visions and Reapers."

"Her visions _were_ real!"

"I know, but…"

"And now this? A promotion just to get me to shut up?"

"Captain, sit down!" Steven yelled abruptly. Hannah halted in her steps and turned to glare at him, but obeyed nonetheless. Steven had never yelled at her like that until now.

"I want you to take some deep breaths and listen to me. That's an order." Steven's blue eyes bore into her. Hannah nodded begrudgingly, and took her first breath to try and clear her angry mind. "Now, I don't think you comprehend how many times I've had to mediate between you and the brass. I've stood in the gap and kept you from being ousted more than once."

Hannah bit her lip. She hadn't realized she'd put Steven in such an awkward position.

"They did imply that making you an admiral might help the situation, but _I_ want you to be an admiral because you're a good officer, an asset to the fleet, not because I want you to keep quiet."

Hannah twisted her lips, thinking. "Of course, I'm grateful for your confidence, Steven. But they still want me busy with the duties of an admiral so I'm distracted from Jane and I won't give in to them. I don't want to be an admiral anymore. That means nothing to me."

Steven sighed. "Hannah, hear me. Jane's death changed you, ate you up. You need to get out of this place of anger…"

"It's not anger!" Hannah shouted.

Steven raised his eyebrows and stared her down, a look that proclaimed she was giving him all the evidence he needed to prove she _was_ consumed with anger.

Hannah shook her head. "Look," she explained in a more subdued voice. "I _was _angry in the beginning. Now, I want to honor her memory and the best way to do that is to keep her visions alive, remind people about what she saw and convince them it's true. These Reapers _will_ come."

Steven leaned forward across his desk, fixing his eyes on her. "You know I trusted Jane. If she was convinced these visions were indications of a coming assault, I believe her. Anderson has complete faith in what she experienced. That's really all the proof I need. But the Parliament won't make decisions based on the fleeting visions of a dead Spectre. They aren't willing to commit the resources to prepare for something unless they believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"But you're the head of the fleet, you could…"

Steven held up his hands. "I answer to the Parliament. I can't just take the fleet and do what I want with them. You know that."

A harsh breath escaped through Hannah's nose. Yes, she did know that. Red tape. It was everywhere. For the past two years, any preparations for the Reapers had been hampered by the disbelief of leadership. Anderson had told her once he felt like he was beating his head against a wall dealing with the Citadel Council. Nothing he said made a difference. They staunchly refused to believe any "unfounded nonsense" about Reapers. The Alliance Parliament had its hands full with its Terra Firma delegates who kept insisting that any talk of Reapers was an invention by aliens to keep humanity living in fear and distract them from alien subversion. They claimed Jane had been manipulated by aliens into believing lies. Other members of the Parliament disagreed that Jane had been manipulated, but admitted that they couldn't legislate on the basis of her visions.

"What about the colonies attacked and gone missing?" Hannah challenged Steven. In the past few months, more than one human colony in the Terminus Systems had suffered perplexing attacks.

"The Alliance doesn't think they're the work of Reapers. The best intel they've got points to Cerberus."

Hannah put a hand to her head, digesting what Steven told her. The theory made sense. Cerberus was knee deep in nefarious activities. Still, an uneasy feeling dominated her mind. She felt there was more to the story when it came to the colonies.

"Let me check it out."

Steven shook his head. "A parliamentary committee's already been commissioned to look it over."

"A committee?! Steven, you know they won't…"

Steven raised a hand. "Do you think I like this? Do you think I like being told to sit back and do nothing? Hannah, I'm doing what I can, give me some credit."

"Well it doesn't look like much."

Steven now sighed in frustration. He leaned back across his desk as close as he could get to her. "You don't know everything, Hannah Shepard. You need a good dose of humility."

Hannah felt like a child being reprimanded. In her chagrin, her ire was raised and she came back with a harsh reply. "Oh yeah? Enlighten me."

Steven shook his head sadly. "I miss the old Hannah Shepard, Captain." He sat back in his seat.

Guilt assaulted Hannah. Steven had always been a good friend. Apparently, he'd also stuck up for her in the past two years. He shouldn't be the one bearing the brunt of her frustration. "Sorry," she whispered. "I don't mean to take it out on you."

Steven now grimaced sadly. "I know. You lost your only child. Who am I to judge how you handle that?"

"I'm just sick of this denial. Some days I feel like I'm going to explode and march into the Parliament myself and give them an earful."

Steven chuckled. "That would be a sight. I couldn't protect you then, so don't do that."

Hannah chuckled, too, the tension in the room easing as she did so. "I won't." She thought she wouldn't anyway.

"I'm going to tell you something I shouldn't," Steven said, his voice lowering, his tone deadly serious. "There's something in the works. You remember Amanda Kenson?"

Hannah nodded. Dr. Kenson had made quite a stir on the news when she had reported findings that the mass relays predated the Protheans, concluding that the Protheans had not created them. At the time, Hannah thought this was just the confirmation the galaxy needed to concede that the Reapers were real, but the doctor's findings had been debated and disparaged.

"Dr. Kenson is working right now to prove the Reapers will invade. She's going to get proof, hard proof, and then maybe the Parliament will listen."

Hannah's heart beat faster. So, Steven _was_ doing something. "I'm sorry I implied you weren't doing anything."

Steven waved her apology away. "You didn't know. Just trust me. I'm doing all I can to help the situation." Steven paused, then spoke again quietly. "So, do you give in? Will you become an admiral now?"

Hannah shook her head. "It wouldn't honor Jane. I wouldn't feel right becoming an admiral when Jane's dead. It would be pursuing my own agenda over my daughter's."

Steven sighed again. "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand."

Hannah stood. "I've taken enough of your time. Thanks for listening and…putting up with me."

Steven smiled. "You know me, Hannah. Come by anytime. You need to vent, I can take it."

"Thanks." She walked to the door and left Steven's office.

* * *

Hannah lay on her bed in her cabin on board the Orizaba. Supposedly, she had retreated to her cabin to get some sleep, but she was still wide awake. Her conversation yesterday with Steven weighed on her mind. She was still mad about the lack of Alliance action and its focus on petty squabbles, but what currently occupied her mind was Steven's assertion that he missed the old Hannah Shepard. What had happened to her?

A chime sounded and Hannah stood up, moving to the lounge area and sitting in a comfortable chair. "Come in."

Lucas stepped into the room. "You need me, Captain?"

"Have a seat, Lucas," Hannah said. He ambled over and sat down in a chair across from her.

"What's up?"

"I have a question for you."

"Okay."

"Have I changed?"

"Uh…how so?" Lucas ran a hand through his graying brown hair, obviously uncomfortable with the question.

Hannah nodded. Lucas' behavior had indicated the truth. "So, I have changed. And not for the better."

"Uh…"

"You can be honest with me. I'm not going to snap at you."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked, eyes cautious.

Hannah's eyebrows creased. "I'm sure."

"Good. Because really, it's a good thing you hired me. I don't think the crew likes you much and I've worked hard to assure their patience, that they give you enough time to get over Jane, but two years? I'm getting worn out, Red."

Hannah sucked in a breath and said nothing, contemplating Lucas' admission and pushing automatic excuses to the back of her mind. If she was going to be a good captain, she needed to hear the critique and consider it. Her crew didn't like her. Hannah reviewed the way she'd treated them. She had to consent that she'd often barked orders and been less than gracious when mistakes were made. She'd yelled quite a bit, too. She was thankful Lucas had had her back.

"You don't get over the death of a child," she whispered, her eyes on the folded hands in her lap.

"I didn't mean it like that," Lucas backtracked, his tone repentant.

"I know you didn't, but I was going to go on." Hannah locked eyes with Lucas. "I was going to say that you don't get over the death of a child, but that doesn't mean it's right to take out your pain on others."

Lucas smiled softly. "That sounds like the Hannah I knew."

Hannah frowned sadly at the irony that Lucas had echoed Steven's sentiments, implying he also missed the old Hannah. "I didn't realize how I'd acted. I guess, I took out my frustration with the Alliance on the crew."

"Yeah," Lucas affirmed. "You have to understand that they didn't join the Alliance to fight Reapers."

Hannah sighed. She'd harped on the Reapers so much in the last couple years. She'd wanted to fill the gap Jane left. Maybe she had filled it, but too much. The crew must think her as deranged as Jane.

"Do they think I'm crazy?" she ventured.

"What?" Lucas asked, his tone deriding the thought. "No, they just think you're a grieving mother who's taken it really hard. That's why I tell them to brush off your anger when it strikes them."

Hannah shook her head. She was disappointed in herself. She was supposed to instill confidence and trust in her crew, not make them afraid the hammer would fall every time she addressed them. It occurred to her that, Lucas, too, had kept his distance these last two years.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I haven't treated you the way you deserve."

"It's okay," Lucas said, sitting back in his chair.

"It isn't okay. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Hannah folded her arms over her chest. She couldn't help _but_ beat herself up over it. The room was silent, Hannah thinking of all the times she'd mistreated the crew, Lucas not sure what to say anymore.

"Hey, uh, I heard from Keta," Lucas said, seemingly wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh. You still keep up with her?"

"Yeah, well, a little, you know." Lucas shifted in his chair. "She's still retired. I'm not sure where she is right now. I think she was going to try and sneak back into batarian space to visit her family."

Hannah nodded. She hoped Keta got to reconnect. She wondered what her batarian friend had been up to lately. "Anything else?"

"No. We don't chat a lot about stuff like that really."

Hannah eyed Lucas, whose cheeks had become slightly pink. "What _do_ you talk about?"

Lucas shrugged. "This and that."

Hannah laughed. "It's so strange, you and Keta friends."

Lucas smiled. "She grew on me. She's a good person…batarian…really, when you get to know her."

"Yeah," Hannah agreed. "Well," she slapped her hands on her knees, "I'd better get some sleep seeing as we're back patrolling the Terminus Systems." Now and then geth activity was reported in the area, leftovers from Saren's army. The Orizaba had been sent out with a small number of ships to catch any threatening activity in the area.

"I'll let you rest." Lucas stood up at the same time as Hannah.

"Lucas," Hannah said. "Thanks for being here for me."

"You know I always will be." He saluted Hannah, then made for the door, exiting.

Hannah walked back over to her bed. She didn't have the willpower to change clothes. She huddled under the covers, uniform and all. She picked up her data pad for one more check of her mail, then a quick tab to see if anything interesting had popped up in the news. One article title made her snort derisively: "Commander Jane Shepard Spotted on Omega?"

Hannah turned off her data pad and closed her eyes. Every few months since Jane had died, someone would claim they had seen her. No body had yet been discovered, fueling the suspicion that Jane hadn't died. But Hannah knew she had. If she were alive, Jane would have made sure her mother was the first to know. As she drifted off to sleep, Hannah tried to estimate how long it would take the conspiracy theorists to figure out Jane was never coming back.

* * *

An insistent beeping woke Hannah from her light sleep. She rolled over and groggily picked up her comm, pushing it into her ear.

"Yeah?"

"It's Commander Cox," Lucas spoke professionally, obviously on duty.

"What is it?"

"We have a distress call coming in from Ferris Fields. Sounds like another attack."

"Head there ASAP. On my way."

"Aye, Captain."

Hannah jumped out of bed. She tore off her wrinkled uniform and quickly changed into a fresh one. She pulled her hair back into a tight bun, ran a toothbrush quickly over her teeth and bolted through the door. She passed crew members in the hall, who saluted as she went by. She made her way to the CIC. When she entered, Lucas was leaning over the communications officer.

"How long will it take us to get there?" she demanded.

Lucas straightened, turning to her. "Forty minutes at most."

Hannah took a breath. Whoever attacked the colonies was usually in and out so fast, forty minutes was cutting it close. Hannah spoke to the communications officer, Jillian Toureau. "Connect me to the shipwide comm."

"Yes, Captain," Toureau replied brusquely, tapping a few times at her terminal, then nodding to Hannah.

"This is the Captain speaking," Hannah said, her hands on her hips as she made the announcement. "We're heading to Ferris Fields. It's another attack. I want you to know, I have put my utmost trust in every single one of you on this ship. You've risen to the occasion every time I've asked and made me proud. So, let's make this count. Show me the strength of the Alliance. Captain out."

Toureau stared at Hannah, then glanced at Lucas. Lucas nodded and smiled. Hannah guessed she'd never mentioned how proud she was of her crew before.

* * *

"One minute to arrival," Lucas called out in the CIC. Hannah was ready. She stood straight and tall.

Thirty seconds later, her tactical officer, Sadik Jenson, began reporting. "Two unknown ships. No Alliance ships. Debris scattered in the atmosphere." Hannah had seen this before. Any Alliance ships attempting to escape had been blown apart the moment they hit the atmosphere, prevented from reaching safety.

Hannah put her hand to ear and now spoke across her small fleet, which included two cruisers and two frigates. "Engage the enemy the moment we arrive." She heard all four captains affirm they'd received her communication.

"Ten seconds," Lucas called out. Hannah counted down inside: 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1.

"Engaging enemy ships!" Jensen called out.

"They're headed out of the system already," Lucas observed. The tactical map displayed the enemy ships speeding away from the Alliance fleet.

"After them!" Hannah cried out into her comm.

The Alliance ships moved towards the enemy, trying to catch them before they could leave the system. Hannah's heart sunk as she watched the map. They wouldn't get to them in time. Their ships moved much faster. In five minutes, it was over. The ships had escaped. In mere minutes, they'd be in another system and through a relay. Hannah kept her disappointment and anger off her face. She didn't want to portray defeat to her crew. She put her hand to her ear.

"Assemble rescue teams," she spoke out, her voice confident. "Let's save any we can." Her tone belied the grief that rose within her. Save who they could? All attacks on their colonies had been thorough. She doubted if anyone was left down below.

* * *

Hannah gathered the leaders of the rescue teams in the conference room. "Report."

"Nothing, Captain," one of them, Lyons, spoke dejectedly. "There was no one to save."

"It's like they just disappeared," another, Boliver, stated. "Food on dinner tables, letters on data pads stopped mid-sentence…children's toys lying on the floor like they'd just been played with."

Hannah rolled her eyes over to Lucas, sympathizing with the grim darkness that covered his face. Ferris Fields had ended up just like all the other colonies: innocent humans ripped away from their lives without a reason, at least, without a reason anyone had discovered. Steven had said the Alliance thought the terrorist organization Cerberus could be behind the attacks. But Hannah now thought otherwise. Cerberus did its dirty work, but she didn't think it would abduct whole colonies when it claimed to want to protect humanity. She didn't agree with Cerberus' ways, but nothing they had done previously made her think this was their doing.

"You're dismissed," Hannah released the leaders in front of her. They filed out silently. Hannah looked to Lucas. "Something's after humanity and the Parliament won't get off its butt and do a dang thing about it."

Lucas nodded, his eyes troubled. "Someone hates us badly."

"Reapers," Hannah said shortly.

"I don't know…"

"I do," Hannah interrupted Lucas. "We're a threat to them. Our Navy shot down their plans at the Citadel. They're after us."

"I don't want to make you mad," Lucas said, "but I'm not sure."

"Think about it," Hannah pressed. "We stop them getting here easily. They must think we're a formidable foe. But people can't see it's them because Jane's visions portrayed an all out assault on the galaxy, not several hit and run operations on human colonies."

"Maybe," Lucas equivocated.

Hannah sighed. When would people believe what she already knew to be true?

"Captain?" a voice sounded in her ear.

"Yes?"

"Admiral Hackett's coming through on the vid comm," Toureau's voice informed her. "He wants to speak with you privately."

"Got it. Shepard out."

"Hackett," Hannah informed Lucas. "He probably already received our report. Encourage the crew, Lucas. It's devastating to lose a whole colony. Don't let them give up on themselves."

"They won't. They're good people," Lucas said. He saluted and then walked out of the room.

Hannah marched to the end of the conference room and tapped a few keys at a panel attached to a rail, activating the vid comm. A full size hologram of Steven came to life in front of her.

"You received our report," Hannah stated.

"It came in a few minutes ago. Another colony gone."

"Steven, nothing we're doing out here is helping. We need to protect these colonies, stake our entire fleet around them…"

"The Parliament would never agree to that."

"They've _got_ to. I swear, I'm going to…"

"Our ability to deal with the situation might have just gotten a boost," Steven interrupted her.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked.

"Maybe you should sit down." Hannah saw a twinkle behind Steven's tired gaze.

"Why?"

"I have some good news and some bad news."

"Give it to me straight."

"Alright, first the good news. Jane's alive."

Hannah put her hands on the rail in front of her and glowered at Steven. "Don't kid with me about her."

"You know I'd never joke with you that way. It's true. She's alive."

Hannah felt her heart sail into her throat. After two years, could Jane really be alive? "You've seen her?" she asked warily, not ready to trust Steven completely.

"No, but Councilor Anderson has. He didn't just catch a glimpse of her. He talked to her in person."

Hannah's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it isn't her," she suddenly asserted, not yet sure about the truth of Steven's revelation. "A look alike or a clone."

"It's her. Anderson is sure of it and I trust him."

She trusted Anderson, too. Jane had to be alive. It had to be true. Her blood raced and she put a hand to her head, feeling lightheaded. She didn't know whether to jump for joy or faint in disbelief. "How…" her voice started to ask, then faded out.

"That's the bad news. I can't tell you where she's been or what she's up to. She's on a covert mission again, still a Spectre. It's best for her if her work remains classified."

Hannah wanted to press Steven for more information, but she knew nothing she said would sway him. Then another thought occurred to her. "Why hasn't she contacted me?"

"You'll have to take that up with her. I'm sending her current e-mail address to you."

Hannah stared at Steven, her eyes losing focus.

"I think you need to sit down after this call," Steven said, chuckling. "She's really back, Hannah. It's the honest truth. Your girl's back from the dead."

Hannah nodded.

"Hackett out." Steven's hologram shimmered and vanished. Hannah turned to the conference table. In the few feet it took to walk to it, she felt her knees buckle. She only just made it into a chair before she collapsed. She sat with her head between her knees, breathing slowly in and out, waiting for her fuzzy mind to clear. _She's not dead, Daniel. She's not dead._

Questions assailed her mind. How had she come back from the dead? Where was she now? What was she doing? Why all the secrecy? She didn't have the decency to even contact her mother? Her mother who had spent two years tormented by her loss? Hannah felt suddenly affronted. She sat up slowly and pulled her data pad over. She brought up the address Steven had sent her and started to compose a message to Jane.

_So I have to find out my child is alive third-hand from the Alliance brass? Where the hell have you been?_

Hannah paused. Yeah, she was mad at Jane. She was overjoyed and furious at the same time, vacillating between overwhelming relief and outright anger. But could she really blame Jane? She didn't even know what had happened to her in the last two years. She didn't know enough to judge her actions yet. She softened the next part of her message.

_I figure whatever you're doing is classified, likely part of your Spectre Operations. Just stay safe out there, and keep doing your mom proud. And sneak something through a secure channel next time. Love, Your Mother, Captain Hannah._

She decided to add in her parental title, figuring Jane needed a little reminding that she had a mother. She pushed send and then lost it, tears of happiness streaming down her face, her body shaking with sobs that expressed her deep relief.

* * *

Less than two hours later, she received a reply to her e-mail that pacified any insult she'd perceived in Jane's lack of communication:

_Mom, I'm so sorry. I should have found a way to contact you, but from the moment I woke up, I've been moving from one crisis to the next. I really feel like I talked to you only a month ago on the Citadel, after the battle. I lost two years of time. I'm sorry._

_It's so strange being here now. It's like I'm in some kind of unreal movie, getting to see how my death has affected the galaxy. My friends, my team, they've changed, gone on without me. And you have, too. The worst of it is, my death seems to have caused nothing but devastation to those I love the most. I curse myself for leaving in the first place, but then, it wasn't my choice. Honestly, I don't know how to feel. Most of the time I just hide the pain of it all and concentrate on the task at hand, just so I can keep going._

_Mom, you're probably going to start hearing a lot of rumors about me and most of them will sound bad. But I promise what I'm doing is only to help the galaxy, to save it from the Reapers. Don't believe everything you hear, please. I swear to you that I'm me, that I'm your Jane. Please trust me. I love you. Love, Jane (Dad's sunshine)._

Hannah's data pad grew hazy as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. Jane had used Daniel's nickname for her. Now she knew for certain: Jane was back.

* * *

Author's Note: Hannah's e-mail to Jane comes straight from the game.


	31. Bahak

For almost a month, Hannah worked to control her impatience and confusion. She eagerly wanted to see Jane face to face, but whatever Jane was up to kept her away. It had been three weeks since her e-mail and Jane hadn't communicated with her since. The news, however, had _not_ been silent. It was flooded with allegations that Jane had returned and was now working for Cerberus. Speculation aplenty ran the news circuit and Jane's name endured outright derision. Hannah remembered Jane had told her she'd start hearing rumors. Could Jane truly be part of Cerberus now? It didn't make sense. Jane would never have taken up with a group so anti-alien, that is, not unless she had a very good reason. Hannah had eventually convinced herself to trust Jane, to rest in the belief that her daughter knew what she was doing.

To quench her uneasiness regarding Jane, Hannah tried to keep herself busy on the Orizaba. She began repairing relationships with the crew by personally approaching the officers on the bridge to inform them how much she appreciated their skills and service. Little by little, the crew warmed up to her. The salutes in the hall started to reflect less duty and more respect. Lucas began visiting her room more often just to talk. He, too, had been flabbergasted about Jane's return. He blew off the rumors that Jane was working with Cerberus, calling reporters "gossip greedy sharks."

Hannah kept hoping she'd get a call from Jane telling her she'd accomplished whatever task she'd undertaken and they could meet up again. She just wanted to see her, to touch her, to make sure her daughter was really real. She believed Jane had come back, but seeing her in person would make her return concrete. Unfortunately, Hannah would find that her reunion with Jane would occur under less than ideal circumstances.

In the early morning hours on board the Orizaba, Hannah sat at her desk in her cabin, reviewing reports from the previous day concerning a geth enclave they had rooted out. She was just signing off the last report when a chime rang in her room.

"Enter," she called out, rolling her eyes towards the door to ascertain who needed her and why.

Lucas stalked through the door, obviously agitated. "Have you seen the news?"

Hannah shook her head. Lucas marched over to her and shoved his data pad into her hands. Hannah read the first part of the article on its screen.

_Breaking News:_ _The entire Bahak system has been annihilated by the destruction of its mass relay. There is no word at the moment as to how this destruction was carried out. However, the batarian Hegemony is alleging the Alliance Navy was involved and claims to have irrefutable proof. The Hegemony reports that 300,000 batarians were killed in the incident._

"An entire system?" Hannah asked incredulously. How in the world…? Who would destroy a relay like that? Why? "And they're blaming us. Great."

"What I want to know is who," Lucas ground out, his teeth clenched.

Hannah got the impression Lucas felt personally affronted. Maybe it was just the thought of a whole system being blotted out of existence in mere seconds. Suddenly, an idea came to her. "Reapers?" she questioned. If the Reapers were behind the attacks on human colonies, maybe they were behind this, too. That would mean they could wipe out the galaxy simply by exploding its relays. The hair on Hannah's arms rose in fear at the thought.

"If it's them, I'll kill them all myself," Lucas growled, his hands balled into fists as he paced her room, eyes angry.

"Lucas," Hannah said worriedly, "Are you alright? You're acting like this is personal."

Lucas halted and flashed an angry glare on her. "It's personal," he confirmed.

"Why?" Hannah looked down, skimming the rest of the article. "Looks like the only populated planet was Aratoht, a batarian planet with mining and military operations."

"Keta's brother was there," Lucas revealed quietly. "She wanted to see him again."

Hannah felt a knot form in her throat. "Was she there when…"

Lucas shook his head. "I don't know. I sent her a message, but she hasn't replied."

Hannah stood up and put her hands on Lucas' shoulders. "She might not have been there."

"But she might have." Lucas pushed Hannah's hands off his shoulders and slammed his hand into the wall. He leaned into the wall, his head on his arm.

Hannah observed Lucas, gauging his reaction to the event. He was taking this hard. Either he had become really good friends with Keta or…

"Lucas," Hannah spoke softly, "Do you love her?"

Lucas snorted. He didn't look at her, but answered her question. "Crazy, isn't it? A human loving a batarian. I must be insane."

Hannah smiled gently. "You aren't insane. But, it is…unusual. You could have told me."

"I don't think I really knew it for sure until now," Lucas whispered. He pulled back from the wall, turning sad and weary eyes on Hannah. "But seriously? I'm old, Hannah. Who's going to take a chance on me now?"

"Is Keta just the first one to come along who's willing to?" Hannah asked, assessing the reason Lucas had fallen for a batarian.

"No, she's more than that. Maybe it was that in the beginning, but it's changed in the last two years. We've gotten really…close."

"You know," Hannah picked her words carefully, not wanting to hurt Lucas, "Keta's been through a lot. Her background isn't exactly…simple. She's rough, hurt, complicated…"

"I know all that," Lucas asserted. "We've shared a lot in the last two years. She's worked through some stuff and I've worked through some stuff…together."

Hannah tried to picture Lucas and Keta having a heart to heart through a vid screen. She just couldn't picture it. Apparently, she'd missed more than she thought she had in the last two years as she'd focused on Jane and Reapers to the exclusion of everything else.

"We've helped each other get past our mistakes," Lucas concluded.

"I'm not saying your relationship is wrong," Hannah clarified, "It's just, Keta's an assassin, a trained killer and…"

"Look," Lucas defended harshly, "She's changed. I _know_ her. And all I can think now is I messed up my relationship with my son and I _didn't_ want to mess this up. And now…she could be dead and I never said word one about how I felt about her."

Hannah bit her tongue. Lucas needed her support, not her skepticism regarding his relationship with Keta. "Just wait. Don't give up on her yet. Look at me. I gave up on Jane and it turns out she's alive."

Lucas nodded glumly. "But if she _is_ dead, I swear I'm going to kill whoever did this to her."

* * *

An hour after Lucas left Hannah's room, she took to the bridge, directing the daily operations of her ship, pushing the terrifying thought of Reapers exploding relays out of her mind…at least until the batarians produced their alleged "proof" of Alliance involvement. She'd only been on the bridge for a few minutes when Toureau called out to her. "Captain, Admiral Hackett's on vid comm."

"Thanks," Hannah acknowledged. She looked to Jenson as she made for the conference room. "You have the bridge, Commander."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hannah walked to the vid comm and punched its panel. Steven's broad frame shimmered into existence, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked critically at her.

"Admiral," Hannah greeted formally. "Do you want our geth report?"

Steven shook his head. "My calls seem to have gotten personal of late."

Hannah tilted her head. "Is this about Jane again?"

"Yes."

Hannah's chest ached in apprehension. "Don't tell me you were wrong and Jane's really dead?"

"No. She _is_ alive."

Hannah felt relief flood her body and she breathed a shaky sigh, releasing pent up tension.

"But she's going to need you, Hannah, now more than ever."

Hannah narrowed her eyes. "Why? What's happened?"

"Have you heard about the Bahak System?"

"I read the news a little over an hour ago. Was she involved?"

"It's her doing," Steven stated regretfully.

Hannah shook her head, disbelieving Steven's assertion. Jane wouldn't kill 300,000 batarians. She couldn't. She wasn't like that. "I don't believe it," she muttered.

"She had no choice," Steven said, then backtracked. "Well, she did have a choice, but the right one was obvious and devastating."

"Then, why…"

"It's complicated. In essence, if she hadn't destroyed the Alpha Relay, we'd have a galaxy wide war on our hands. The Reapers would be here and we wouldn't have prepared for them in the slightest."

Hannah put a hand to her chest. Jane had been forced to choose between a batarian colony or the assault on the entire galaxy by Reapers. Hannah didn't envy her the decision she'd been forced to make.

"I called you," Steven went on, "because Anderson's already on his way to place her under arrest. The batarian Hegemony's going to release its proof later in the day and I'm certain it will implicate Jane. Humanity could be kicked off the Citadel Council or sanctioned if we don't show we're doing something, like taking the perpetrator of the crime into custody."

Hannah felt her heart beat harshly through the palm pressed into her chest. "You're not going to give her into the hands of the batarians?" They'd execute her instantly, Hannah thought inside.

"She'll be taken to earth, to stand trial in a just system."

Hannah nodded slowly. "What if she…flees?" Hannah knew the stealth capabilities of the Normandy.

Steven then puffed out his chest proudly. "I've already met with her. She's ready to take the fall for her actions. She won't flee."

Hannah felt proud and disappointed at the same time: proud Jane would stand up for her actions no matter the consequences, disappointed the morals of her daughter precluded escape from those who wouldn't understand the reason for her choice.

"However, Jane's not in a good place. She may be resilient, but she's going to lose her ship and her team, her friends. She'll have nothing. And she's too valuable for us to lose, the brass at least admits that much."

"You want me to go to earth," Hannah intuited.

Steven nodded. "I'm calling the Orizaba back to Arcturus."

"Okay," Hannah said, her mind still reeling at the information she'd been given.

"You have my orders, Captain. Hackett out." Steven's form disappeared.

Hannah sat down at the conference table, her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her hand. Why did the galaxy ask so much from her daughter? Hadn't the Battle of the Citadel been enough? Now she had 300,000 deaths on her conscience, too.

Hannah heard someone enter the conference room. "Hey, Jenson told me you were in here, that Hackett called. What's going on?"

Hannah looked over at Lucas' questioning gaze. He'd cooled down from earlier, but she still read the anxiety behind his eyes. She couldn't tell him Jane might have killed Keta, not after his declaration he'd take out whoever was responsible.

"Something private," she spoke, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Ah, okay," Lucas said. "You coming back to the bridge?"

Hannah nodded and stood to follow Lucas out the door, hoping they'd be back on Arcturus before Lucas learned the truth.

* * *

When Hannah issued the order to return to Arcturus Station, the crew was surprised, but not overly so. The Orizaba had only been out for approximately a month; it was supposed to remain in space for at least three. Still, the Navy tended to change its mind often, so a short stint wasn't unheard of. Most were glad they'd get to see their families again so soon.

They were about three hours from the station when the bomb dropped. Hannah knew the news had come out that Jane was responsible for the destruction of the Bahak system when she entered the bridge again and heard hushed twittering cease. Several pairs of eyes glanced uncomfortably her way. She searched the bridge, but didn't see Lucas anywhere. She determined it would be best if she tracked him down before he found her. She turned to walk to the elevator and ran smack dab into her XO who had just exited the elevator himself.

"Did you know?" Lucas asked in a low and threatening voice.

Hannah steeled herself and motioned towards the door to the conference room. She heard Lucas' heavy footfalls follow her into the room. She turned to him when the door closed. "I knew."

"And you didn't tell me?" Lucas' jaw was clenched, his voice muted.

Hannah crossed her arms over her chest. "You said you were going to kill whoever did it. You expected me to tell you?"

Lucas stood hunched over, his data pad dangling from his hand. He glared at Hannah, saying nothing. Hannah gestured at the data pad. "What are they saying?"

"They have video of the Normandy in-system that was picked up and sent back to the Hegemony right before the system went dark. And there's a casualty list."

Hannah took a deep breath, preparing herself to hear the tragic news. "Is she on it?"

Lucas shook his head. "But her brother is. She wouldn't _be_ on it, now would she?" he asked snidely. "She wasn't supposed to anywhere near batarian space."

"Then she could still be alive, Lucas," Hannah insisted, wanting to soothe the fury rippling under the surface of his self-control.

"She still hasn't answered my e-mail. She's gone, I know it. And your daughter killed her."

Hannah shifted uncomfortably on her feet, Lucas' sinister eyes chilling her to the bone. Lucas had always been on her side, but Hannah realized his faithfulness now had a limit: Lucas' loyalty to her ended where his loyalty to Keta began. "You need to take a deep breath, calm down and don't make assumptions."

"What else _can_ I assume?!" Lucas suddenly yelled.

"Sit down, Commander!" Hannah demanded, afraid of what Lucas might do next if his rage wasn't contained.

"I don't want to sit down, _Captain_," Lucas retorted.

"If you don't, I can have you locked up in the brig until we get back to the station."

"On what charge? Confronting my captain for lying to me?"

"I didn't _lie_, Lucas. I just didn't clarify Hackett's call."

"Well you should have!" Lucas stepped towards her, his fist raised. Hannah backed up and put her own fists in the air, ready to fight him if necessary.

"Stop and think about this. You attack me, and you'll be brought up on charges of assaulting your commanding officer."

Lucas froze and growled, shaking his fist at her. "I'm not going to hit you…but…I don't know what to do." He suddenly threw his data pad across the room. It clattered across the table and slid onto the floor.

"I'm ordering you to stay in your cabin until we reach the station, you got me?"

Lucas stomped towards the door. "I'm going." He didn't salute or look back at her as the door shut behind him.

Hannah breathed in and out quickly, her body releasing tension after the confrontation. She walked over to the other side of the room and picked up Lucas' data pad. An unsent message taunted her from the screen.

_Keta, please contact me as soon as you can. Look, I hadn't wanted to scare you off, so I never said anything, but, honestly, I love you. Don't die, okay? Lucas._

Hannah looked back at the door, contemplating the man who had been her closest friend over the last few years. He'd been given another chance to love someone. She could empathize with his pain, losing someone he cared about so deeply. Her finger hovered over the send button for a moment, then tapped quickly. She debated with herself inside. Had she done the right thing? Lucas should have been the one to decide when to tell Keta his feelings, but Hannah didn't want him to regret never sending the one message that meant the most to him. Someone dying and being taken from your life was bad enough. Never having told them how you felt would be worse.

Hannah sighed. She cared about Lucas. But she cared for Jane more. If Keta trumped Lucas' loyalty to her, she could understand that. But he'd have to understand, too, that her loyalty to Jane trumped him any day.

* * *

When the Orizaba docked at Arcturus Station, Hannah ordered Jenson to secure the ship and assign a skeleton crew to oversee it, then headed to Lucas' cabin. When she reached his door, she reviewed the words she'd mulled over in her mind. Finally, she took a breath and surged ahead, pushing the panel and sounding the chime in his room.

In a couple seconds, the door slid open. Lucas was out of uniform, wearing a pair of sweats and a white undershirt. His eyes were bleary. "What do you want?" he slurred out. Hannah smelled alcohol on his breath.

"I want to talk to you."

Lucas pulled back and gestured inside. Hannah entered and sat down in the small lounge area on his couch. Lucas leaned with his back against the wall across from her. Hannah observed an empty bottle of krogan beer on the table. She reached out and picked it up. "How did you get this?"

Lucas rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "Keta sent it. We were supposed to share it the next time we got together. She said it lays you on your ass. She was right."

Hannah set the bottle back on the table and looked up at Lucas. He was rubbing his face with his hands. He lowered them and took a deep breath. "Why you here?"

"We're back at Arcturus."

"I figured that out. Do I have permission to leave my room, mother?" Lucas glowered at her.

Hannah sighed. "Lucas, I didn't want to order you to stay here. You just needed some time to calm down."

"Well, I'm calm now."

"You're drunk. There's a difference."

"I don't think I'm drunk anymore," Lucas objected. He coughed then continued. "I can think again, anyway. I had that stuff hours ago. Goes through the system quickly. Trust me."

"You _look_ drunk."

"Just tipsy," Lucas insisted.

"Will you listen to me?"

Lucas shrugged. "Say whatever you came to say. I just want to get it over with so I can get off this ship." He fixed her with his green eyes, slightly foggy, but concentrating on her.

Hannah sat up straight. "Lucas, you've always had my back whenever I needed you. I don't want to lose your friendship. Jane only destroyed the system because she didn't have any other choice. Think about it from her point of view, having to choose between letting the Reapers assault the entire galaxy or destroying one system and keeping them out."

"Reapers!" Lucas spat out, the term uttered as if it was a curse word. "Always the Reapers. We haven't seen one Reaper since your daughter disappeared. They don't exist, Hannah! Jane's delusional."

"You didn't think so when they derided her visions on the news after they said she was dead," Hannah challenged, annoyed. "You said reporters never knew what they were talking about."

"Two years hadn't gone by, then," Lucas countered. "We should have seen something by now if Reapers were real."

Hannah opened her mouth to protest, then shut it. She hadn't come by to argue the existence of the Reapers. "Look," she went on, expressing the words she'd practiced, "I wanted to let you know I understand. When I lost Daniel, it was awful, more than awful. I don't even have the words to tell you had badly I hurt. So I get what you're feeling."

Lucas said nothing, just stared at her unblinking.

"I don't want you to give up hope. Don't give up on Keta until you're completely sure."

Lucas still kept silent as she paused, Hannah unable to read his gaze, so she plunged ahead. "And I wanted to ask you to hear Jane out. Just give her a chance. Try to understand why she did what she did before you judge her. Okay?"

Lucas folded his hands over his chest. "I'm not making any promises."

Hannah stood. "Then we're done here. You can go. But think about what I said, Lucas. You don't want to say or do anything you'd regret." She walked to the door and left, thinking it better not to look back at the man who had been her closest friend for the last ten years.

* * *

As Hannah left the Orizaba, she saw Steven Hackett waiting for her. "My ship's ready for departure," he informed her shortly as she fell into step next to him. "Anderson's made it to the Normandy. It's headed to earth."

Hannah nodded, recognizing that Jane's path was set and she would now face what must be the trial of the century. What a field day the galaxy would have at her expense, impugning her humanity, mocking her visions and crucifying her for simply trying to protect it. She didn't have any confidence that the Alliance would hand Jane a fair trial. Their justice system was better than the Hegemony's, but she assumed humanity's leaders would make Jane a scapegoat, hiding behind her punishment to protect their own agendas. Hannah had already resolved to make her own defense of Jane if all seemed lost.

Hannah followed Steven, refusing his offer to stop briefly by her apartment. As she walked brusquely, she suddenly felt that they were being followed. More than once, she glanced over her shoulder, but she didn't perceive anyone out of the ordinary. The only person that caught her eye was someone a ways down the hall who wore a hooded jacket obscuring his or her face. The last time she looked back, when they reached the small ship that would ferry them to earth, the hooded figure had disappeared, probably going about his or her own business. Hannah followed Steven onboard the ship, the figure in a hoodie forgotten as they settled into their seats and began the journey to earth.


	32. Detention

Hannah spent the travel time to Earth pressing Steven for more information regarding how Jane had gotten into her current mess. He explained that he'd sent Jane on a personal mission for him to rescue Dr. Amanda Kenson from a batarian prison. Jane had freed the doctor, then discovered that Kenson and her team had uncovered a Reaper artifact that indoctrinated them. Jane learned that the Reapers planned to enter the galaxy through the Alpha Relay. Originally, Kenson and her team decided to slam their base, an asteroid, into the relay to stop the Reapers from coming through, but their indoctrination caused them to forgo implementing their plan. Jane had to make the decision instead to send the asteroid careening into the relay and delay the advent of the Reapers. She'd tried to warn the colonists on Aratoht, but it was too late. The relay exploded, taking the entire system with it.

"I didn't mean to put Jane in such a position," Steven confessed to Hannah quietly. "She went out there as a personal favor to me…now she's going to pay for her loyalty."

Hannah sat still, chin resting on her folded hands, thinking through the details of Steven's story. Hannah fervently wished she could switch places with her daughter, that she could suffer in her stead. She thought back to when Jane was born, conjuring up the image of her preterm baby girl in an incubator, tiny and vulnerable, in need of her mother's protection. Hannah hated that at some point you had to let your children go out into a world of danger and treachery. In her opinion, Jane had been used and abused by the galaxy; she'd been made its experiment of how much a good person could take.

"What's going to happen now?" Hannah finally asked Steven.

Steven frowned and glanced out his window. "I wish I knew the answer to that. 300,000 lives...It's a capital crime."

Hannah gulped and blinked back tears. "Don't let them take her from me. Please, Steven. I just got her back."

Steven turned resolute eyes on her. "I don't plan on letting that happen to her. Anderson doesn't either. We're going to bat for her and make our case that her experience with the Reapers is far too valuable to lose her."

Hannah turned her head to stare out her own window, observing distant stars zoom past. She'd wanted to go back to Earth for a long time to see her mother, now an eighty year old widow who still lived in her childhood home in Michigan. She never thought she'd be returning to Earth to bolster a daughter about to defend herself against the crime of murdering an entire planet of aliens. For only a moment, the thought that it would have been better if Jane had stayed dead passed through her mind. But, no, even in her motherly grief, she selfishly would rather have Jane alive than live without her.

* * *

Hannah kept her gaze focused outside her window as Steven's ship hurtled towards Earth. She traced the distinctive mitten outline of Michigan and then its Upper Peninsula, but she could only wistfully watch it disappear as the ship continued on to the west coast of North America, headed for Vancouver and Alliance Headquarters. Steven had told her that Jane would be brought to the detention center there. He expected they would arrive before Jane.

Upon exiting the ship, Steven directed Hannah into headquarters and they made for the detention center. Steven stopped along the way to discuss with administration exactly where Commander Shepard would be held when she arrived. They ended up sitting in an interrogation room, waiting for the announcement that the Normandy had landed.

"How did she come back to me, Steven? Do you know?" Hannah asked, wanting both to break the uneasy silence as they waited and receive an answer to her question.

Steven shifted his tense gaze over to Hannah. "She didn't tell you?"

"She's only sent me one e-mail since I found out she was alive."

Steven spread out his hands on the table they sat at. "Cerberus brought her back from the dead."

Hannah knit her eyebrows. "So she _was_ dead?"

Steven nodded. "But Cerberus does things no one else will. They found her body and worked on it for two years to bring her back."

"Why?" Hannah asked, confused as to how Jane was an asset to the terrorist organization.

"That I don't know. You'll have to ask your daughter. But I do know that Jane hasn't joined them. She might have used them to help humanity, but she didn't become one of them."

Steven's answer encouraged Hannah. Jane may be in debt to Cerberus for her life, but that hadn't swayed her to take up their cause, to push their anti-alien and pro-humanity agenda to the point of experimenting on and killing others.

Time ticked by, one hour, then two. Steven left several times to talk to various higher ups. Once he brought Hannah back a cup of coffee and a pastry. Hannah slowly sipped the coffee, but only managed one bite of the pastry. Her stomach was in knots, wondering what Jane would look like when she walked through the door.

At last, Steven put his hand to his ear and turned to Hannah. "She's here. They're bringing her in."

Hannah stood, linking and unlinking her fingers, nervous, her heart feeling like it had ascended into her throat. In a few moments, her dead daughter would stand in front of her alive. When the door slid open, Hannah held her breath. A broad-chested, formidable young man in an Alliance uniform walked in beside her daughter, his face hard and businesslike. Jane's eyes widened when she saw who waited for her in the room.

"Mom?"

Hannah fought back tears, not able to find the words to respond. Jane looked haggard, exhausted, dark circles under her eyes. She wore no distinguishing uniform, just a set of black pants and a black t-shirt. Her hands were restrained behind her back, a precaution Hannah thought unnecessary. If Jane said she would come in willingly, she'd do as she promised. She speculated, though, that anyone who'd killed 300,000 living beings would have been treated the same way.

Hannah spied Anderson behind Jane and her guard. He nodded to her when he saw her, his face reflecting a combination of anger and worry. Hannah found it interesting that he wore an Alliance uniform, something she hadn't seen him in since he'd become a councilor. Steven moved towards the door and whispered into Anderson's ear. Anderson nodded.

"Vega, get those handcuffs off and then come outside," Anderson instructed, then left the room with Steven.

"Yes, sir!" the young man answered dutifully. His omni-tool flashed on and he unlocked Jane's shackles, then moved backwards, letting the door slide shut, leaving the two women alone.

Jane brought her hands up to her chest and rubbed each of her wrists alternately. She looked across at Hannah. "I'm guessing, if you're here, you know what I had to do."

Hannah nodded, still choked up and unable to speak. She hated to see Jane in this state, clearly perceiving anguish in her daughter's eyes. Jane was an emotionally beaten woman. Hannah couldn't help it. She felt tears slide down her cheeks. She put her hands to her face to wipe them away. Before she could finish, Jane crossed the room and enveloped her mother in a tight embrace.

"It's okay, mom, it's okay. It'll be okay."

In a tender reversal, daughter comforted mother. Jane's voice softly intoned that everything would be fine over and over as Hannah clung to her and cried. Standing there, feeling Jane's arms around her, Hannah released all the pain of the last two years without her. Her daughter was real, right here, truly alive in the flesh.

Hannah eventually returned Jane's hug, then pushed her back to get a good look at her, holding onto her arms. "I love you, honey."

Jane's eyes misted ever so slightly. "I love you, too, mom. Why don't you sit, okay?"

"Alright."

Jane pulled out a couple chairs from the table, positioning them so they faced each other. Hannah took one and Jane the other. Jane leaned back in her chair, her legs extended in front of her. "How much do you know about what I've been up to?"

"Not much," Hannah admitted, taking a deep, shaky breath. "Cerberus brought you back to life. You rescued Dr. Kenson, found out she was indoctrinated and then destroyed the Bahak system to keep out the Reapers. That's all."

Jane brought both hands up behind her head, linking them and leaning her head back into them. She stared at the ceiling. "It would have been great if they'd woken me up and said, 'Guess what? We defeated those Reapers you warned us about. All is well.' Instead, it's, 'You've been dead for two years and now you have to gallivant all over the galaxy again because we didn't listen to sense and we're still in danger.'" Jane shifted her eyes to Hannah. "Seriously, I've about had it. I don't care what happens to the galaxy anymore."

Hannah searched Jane's tired eyes. She didn't buy what her daughter was saying. "You don't really feel that way."

Jane sighed and placed her hands in her lap. "I feel that way, but not enough to give up. But really, I'm going to have to give up, right? They've grounded me and my ship." She stood, her frustration getting the better of her, and paced to the other side of the room, shaking her head. "I saved them again and they grounded me." She let out a sad, heartless laugh.

"They don't understand, Jane. They don't believe the Reapers are real."

Jane turned wary eyes on her. "Do you?"

"I've always believed you. I've spent these last two years trying to convince them you were right."

Jane smiled slightly. "Thanks. Didn't do any good, though, did it?"

Hannah shook her head. "They're too concerned with themselves. But I'm not the only one who believes you. Steven does. Anderson, too."

"Yeah," Jane said, walking back to the chair and sitting down again. "They may be the only ones standing between me and a life in prison."

"Tell me what happened. Your side of the story," Hannah insisted, wanting to hear from Jane's own lips what she'd been through.

Jane sucked in her lips, then blew out a breath. "Do you want me to start at the beginning?"

"Sure," Hannah encouraged. And so, just as she had after the Battle of the Citadel, Jane poured out her story to her mother, how Cerberus had retrieved her body with Liara's help, how they'd brought her back from the dead because they recognized her as a symbol both to the galaxy and the Reapers of the strength of humanity. They'd put her to work solving the identity of those behind the disappearance of the human colonies. It turned out the attacks were the work of a race of aliens known as the Collectors. But the Collectors were actually modified Protheans and essentially mindless drones who did the bidding of the Reapers. Eventually, Jane made her way through the Omega 4 Relay, where she and her team destroyed the Collector base.

"And then, I told the Illusive Man to shove it," Jane concluded, smiling at the thought. "He wasn't pleased."

Hannah wished she could have seen Jane telling the head of Cerberus to stick it. They may have brought her back, but she'd left her saviors behind, knowing them for what they really were.

"And then Hackett called me," Jane said, her tone sobering, her face falling. "And you know about that. I thought it was bad having to choose between Ashley or Kaidan. Now it's 300,000 batarians or an imminent Reaper invasion."

"You had no choice, Jane," Hannah spoke, trying to help Jane view her decision objectively.

Jane shook her head. "I had a _clear_ choice. It was still a choice. You remember how you told me dad found that video album on a dead turian in the First Contact War? How he learned then you couldn't generalize a species?"

Hannah nodded.

Jane blew a breath out her nose. "Have you seen the casualty list?"

Hannah shook her head.

"I have. Whole families dead. Did you know a fourth of those killed were children?"

"Jane…"

"Children. And I'm responsible for them dying. The batarians on Aratoht weren't just a species that humans hate. They were living beings trying to eke by another day, simply wanting to enjoy life as best they could, to love their families. I took that away from them." Jane brought a hand up to her forehead and covered her eyes.

Hannah's heart broke for her daughter. What would it be like to have that much blood on your hands? She had to pull Jane back to the truth of the matter, get her to understand the reason she'd had to act as she did. "What would have happened if the Reapers had come through the relay?"

Jane removed her hand from her eyes and peered at Hannah. "I know where you're going. They would have attacked Aratoht, killed its inhabitants or indoctrinated them, made them slaves."

"You spared them that," Hannah proclaimed.

"I know that with my head," Jane conceded, "But my heart doesn't. It still hurts in here." Jane put her hand over her chest. She rose from her chair, pacing again. Hannah waited patiently for Jane to gather her thoughts, watching her daughter move back and forth at the end of the room.

"I'm glad you're here," Jane finally spoke softly. "Because the worst of it is I had to let go everyone that was close to me, to leave them behind or lead them into judgment with me. I dropped all non-Alliance team members off the Normandy before Anderson got there. I didn't want them pulled into this mess. Those who'd been Alliance chose to stay, knowing they'd take a fall, too, for working with Cerberus. All my people—abandoned or arrested."

Hannah caught the immeasurable pain on Jane's face. "They're like your family."

Jane nodded slowly. "Some more than others. Joker…Liara…Tali…Garrus. Especially Garrus."

"The turian? The one who was with you at the Battle of the Citadel?" Hannah thought back, remembering the quick glimpse she'd gotten of an unconscious turian in the Normandy's med-bay.

Jane's eyes took on a distant look. "He didn't want to leave me. He said he'd stay by my side, see me to Earth and through the trial. I convinced him to go. Told him to save his own species from the Reapers."

Hannah tried to read the emotion in her daughter's eyes. Something about this turian tied Jane to him. What had they been through together?

Jane's eyes focused back on Hannah. "Anyway," she said, waving her hand to brush her feelings aside, "Some things can't be pursued when the circumstances don't allow it." Jane walked back over to the chair and perched her hands on its back. "And now I'm here. Ready to face the music. I'm out of the fight." Jane dropped her head, her last sentence having been uttered as a defeated whisper.

Hannah slapped a hand on her thigh. "Idiots!" she cried out. "They have the one person, the one team in the galaxy that has seen and fought the Reapers up close and they treat you like criminals!"

Jane looked up at her, her gaze intense. "I may be out, but you and Anderson and Hackett, you aren't. You can make a difference, prepare the Alliance. I may have delayed the Reapers' arrival, but they're still on the way."

"I'm not leaving you again, not now."

"You have to, mom. You have to try and save the galaxy from its own ignorance."

Hannah suddenly smiled. "I knew you weren't finished with the galaxy."

Jane let out a sorrowful laugh. "I'm finished…for a while anyway."

"Jane," Hannah said, standing up and taking her daughter's hand, squeezing it. "I'm so proud of you. No matter what happens, I'm never going to stop being proud."

Jane smiled grimly. "Thanks."

The door to the room slid open and the two women turned to see Anderson and Hackett entering the room. The beefy young man, Vega, stepped in, too, standing next to the door as it closed.

"Sorry we couldn't give you more time," Steven said. "But we need to talk strategy. There's a batarian delegation on the way to Arcturus Station. They're going to argue Shepard should be extradited to Khar'shan."

"You'd better guarantee me the Parliament won't do that," Hannah asserted.

"I have friends in high places," Steven stated. "They aren't going to budge on the issue. But things are going to be in turmoil there and we need to move swiftly to settle the situation."

Anderson folded his arms over his chest and stared at Jane. "I've got a lot riding on you, Shepard. You're my number one priority now. I've just told the Council I will no longer be their whipping boy. I've resigned and Udina has finally got the post he wanted all along. I hope he enjoys it." Anderson's last sentence dripped with sarcasm. "I'm going to be your defender."

Jane nodded once. Hannah caught the mutual look of respect that passed between her daughter and Anderson.

"Vega," Anderson called out, "Guard the door. Keep everyone out."

"Yes, sir," Vega answered decisively, stepping back outside the room.

"So," Anderson said, "Let's get started." Hannah and Jane pulled their chairs back up to the table and sat across from Anderson and Hackett, discussing how to save Jane from the retribution headed her way.

* * *

The meeting was long and drawn out. Anderson had revealed he'd called for an emergency meeting of the defense committee. He figured Jane's best bet was to plead her case to them, arguing that her act was necessary to stop further tragedy, then to scare their socks off with tales of the Reapers and Collectors. Anderson knew several members of the committee personally. In the last two years, he'd convinced many of them to agree that danger from an unknown enemy force was a possibility. They'd had to admit that Jane had seen and done things they hadn't, that she very well might be their only asset in a future invasion.

Anderson had instructed Jane on what to say and how to say it, warning her to keep her answers simple and her explanations straightforward. He also insisted she let him do most of the talking. "You're a fighter," Anderson had reminded her. "Not a politician. If I've learned anything by watching the Council, it's how to smooth talk the other side."

The committee was organizing and would be ready to hear Jane in about four hours time. In the meantime, Steven had arranged for Jane to be housed in a more comfortable part of the detention center. She'd have a small room to herself to wait for her hearing.

Hannah hugged Jane good-bye momentarily, not being allowed to follow her further into the center. She exited the interrogation room, watching Jane walk with Vega down the hall, Anderson following. She made to turn to Steven when she heard the distinct sound of a shot ring out in the hallway. Looking back, she saw Jane kneeling to the ground. Vega had rushed to the side, slamming someone into the wall and knocking a shotgun out of his hands. Hannah ran towards the scene, followed by Steven.

"We should never have saved you!" an all too familiar voice yelled out.

Hannah knelt next to Jane, ignoring the man pinned to the wall for the moment. "Are you hurt?"

Jane shook her head. "I hit the ground the moment Vega told me to. He saw the attack coming before I did."

"What are you doing here?" Hannah heard Anderson shout out. She looked up to see Anderson face to face with Jane's attacker.

Hannah helped Jane stand, speaking as she did so, wanting to hear the answer to Anderson's question. "Well tell him, Lucas." She glared at her XO, whose fiery eyes were fixed only on Jane. Lucas said nothing, just growled out a cry of frustration.

Steven looked to Anderson. "I think we can handle Shepard. I want this man locked up, now!"

"Vega," Anderson said, "Take him to booking. Get him a cell."

"Sir," Vega answered, saluting with one hand, the other still pushing Lucas into the wall. He roughly pulled Lucas away from the wall, twisting his arms behind his back and forcing him to walk down the hall.

Jane put her hand on her mother's shoulder. "That's Lucas Cox?"

Hannah nodded. Jane had only heard Lucas' name in passing when Hannah mentioned her friend.

"What did I do to him?" Jane asked.

Hannah turned both sad and angry eyes on Jane. "The batarian he loved was going to Aratoht. She may have been there when…"

Jane lowered her eyes. "Yeah. I understand."

Steven tilted his head to Hannah. "Am I to assume you refer to your assassin friend?"

Hannah nodded again.

Steven shook his head. "We'll need to deal with him. You especially."

Hannah sighed.

"Go easy on him, huh? For me," Jane requested gently.

"He just tried to kill you, Shepard," Anderson reminded her.

Jane rolled her eyes over to Anderson. "If someone had wiped out the system of the one I love, I'd feel just the same. I can't promise I wouldn't try to take the person who did that out, too."

Anderson pulled his lips back in a tight grimace. "I see your point."

"He didn't mean it, mom," Jane said, her eyes back on her mother. "He's just controlled by anger right now…like I was when dad died."

Hannah bent over and picked up Lucas' shotgun. It was Keta's modified one he'd been given ownership of two years ago. Hannah looked down the hall, watching Lucas and Vega disappear around a corner. The problem was, she was all too sure Lucas _did_ mean it.


	33. Consequences

Hannah waited an hour to cool down before confronting Lucas. She met with Steven, catching him up to speed regarding the reason for Lucas' behavior. The reason made little difference; Steven was livid, as livid as he would show anyway. He'd always been the quintessential admiral with bottomless self-control. They agreed Hannah would be the one to do the talking and report back to Steven. After their conversation, Steven left to turn his attention to Jane, leaving Hannah sitting alone in a conference room he had commandeered as a place for her to settle while the defense committee gathered for Jane's hearing.

When she was alone, Hannah folded her arms on the conference table and rested her head on them, trying to clear her mind to think objectively. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Jane's predicament had brought her to the edge of what she could manage emotionally; Lucas' attack threatened to push her over. Anxiety bubbled under the surface of her apparent aplomb as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that today she could lose both her daughter _and_ her friend. _But is Lucas even my friend anymore?_ Hannah asked herself. _He tried to kill my daughter._ She concluded that what she really wanted to do was go down to Lucas' cell and beat the crap out of him. However, such an action wasn't correct behavior for a captain in the Alliance Navy. So, instead of rushing down to Lucas' cell, she stayed put until her simmering anger had submitted to her stronger will.

When she felt she could converse with Lucas rather than assault him, Hannah made her way to his cell. She passed through detention security having been granted clearance by Steven to see her XO. A guard led her down to a cell, a small room with a secured lock. The guard opened the door with his omni-tool and let her inside.

The cell was sparse, a bed in one corner, a steel folding chair in the other. A small washbasin and toilet occupied a third corner. Lucas had been lying on the bed when she entered. He looked to the door, saw it was her and sat up, leaning with his back against the wall. He avoided her eyes. Hannah tried to read his expression, but his face was blank. She walked over and pulled the chair out from the corner, sitting down. She stared at Lucas for a few seconds. His head was lowered and he picked at the bed cover.

"You've been relieved of duty effective immediately," Hannah began.

Lucas assented quietly. "I already knew that would happen. I betted on it."

Hannah took a long breath to steady her mind. What really bothered her was that Lucas' act had been premeditated. It wasn't like he'd just seen Jane and lost it; he'd gone out of his way to track her down.

"How did you get to Earth?" Hannah demanded. "You realize you're AWOL." It was then that Hannah noticed the hooded jacket Lucas wore over his uniform to keep out the chill of the cell. "You followed me," she said, recognizing Lucas as the hooded figure that had piqued her interest after she left the Orizaba at Arcturus.

"I had to know where you were going," Lucas explained, eyes still on the cover of the bed.

"So...what? You have some secret ship I don't know about?"

Lucas actually chuckled. "I wish. No, I looked up merchant ships before we got back to Arcturus. Managed to pay my way onto one headed to Earth."

Understanding shook Hannah inside and if looks could kill, Lucas would have been incinerated instantly. She understood now that when she'd pleaded with Lucas back on the Orizaba to hear Jane out, he'd already decided to kill her.

"How could you do this to me, Lucas?" she asked carefully, working to maintain her cool. "You betrayed me."

Now Lucas' head snapped up. "I betrayed _you_? Your daughter killed Keta and you've been acting this whole time like Keta means nothing to you!"

Hannah immediately protested. "I care about Keta. I don't want her to be dead. But if she is, I understand why it had to happen."

Lucas let out a cry of frustration. "Your daughter's twisted your mind!"

Hannah narrowed her eyes at Lucas. "What are you…"

Lucas interrupted. "Have you ever considered that Jane's a Cerberus agent? That she's on their side? Huh?"

Hannah's veneer of calm disappeared as anger filtered through her words. "She isn't on their side! In fact, _she_ left them."

"So she tells you," Lucas came back cynically. "How can you believe her? She's been working for them this whole time. How do you know that blowing up the Bahak system wasn't an act of terrorism backed by Cerberus?"

"Because she wasn't sent there by Cerberus," Hannah defended Jane. "Hackett sent her there to rescue someone. It was a personal favor to him."

Lucas shook his head. "So Hackett's as deceived as you are. It's the only thing that makes sense. Your daughter's a Cerberus agent using the Reapers as an excuse to carry out her own agenda."

Hannah paused a moment before she replied, stewing in her anger and biting back her retort. It was obvious Lucas had been listening to biased news for too long. She wondered if his ideas were the general opinion of the galaxy, that Jane was nothing but a Cerberus agent bent on acts of terrorism. Hannah inhaled slowly, forcing herself to regain control over her emotions and thoughts.

"I know Jane. She's the same as she was two years ago at the Battle of the Citadel. She would never support terrorism."

Lucas looked askance at Hannah. "So she never worked with Cerberus?" His tone implied a clear challenge, one Hannah knew she couldn't exactly defend against. Jane _had_ worked with Cerberus. If she confirmed this, Lucas would claim it as proof his erroneous conclusions were correct. How could Hannah explain that her daughter had worked with a terrorist organization for a good cause? Even in her own mind, her every explanation seemed weak. So she forwent even trying to explain the truth to her former XO.

"Let's just set Jane's motives aside for a moment," Hannah said instead, turning back to the personal implications of Lucas' actions. "How could you do this to me? You know how much Jane's death tore me up. You were there for me when it happened. How could you even think of taking her from me again?" Hannah heard her voice tremble at the end, her outrage getting the better of her.

Lucas sighed, dropping his eyes to the bed again. "I know how it looks to you. I didn't want to hurt you, that wasn't my intention."

"Then why?"

Lucas' head rose to look her in the face. "Because Jane's a danger. If she'll destroy an entire system, what do you think she'll do next? I didn't want to chance that."

Hannah snorted. "Don't make your act sound noble, Lucas. You didn't do this for the good of the galaxy."

Lucas shifted on the bed. "Keta meant a lot to me," he whispered. "I did it for her _and_ the galaxy." The tenor of his voice rose. "Your daughter took out a rogue Spectre at the Battle of the Citadel. Well, it was my turn to take out another rogue Spectre. Your daughter went the same way as Saren, using her unrestricted power for her own purposes."

Hannah clenched her teeth together. Lucas was so deluded, she couldn't reach him. Talking to him was useless. She didn't want to be anywhere near him anymore. If she stayed here, she'd soon rush across the room and pummel him to death. She stood up from the chair.

"You're going to be brought up on charges of desertion and attempted murder you know."

Lucas laughed sadly. "Yeah, I know. Jane gets all the glory for killing a rogue Spectre. I'm going to get a prison term. Ironic, isn't it?"

"Jane defended the Citadel from an armed and ruthless turian. You fired on an unarmed woman walking down a hallway. Why don't you mull _that_ over for a while!" Hannah marched to the cell door, stomping through it as it opened, seething inside. The guard had remained and locked the door behind her. Hannah punched the hallway wall, her anger at Lucas' twisted logic exploding. Then, sadness overwhelmed her. She'd just lost the man she considered to be her one and only close friend.

* * *

Hannah sat outside the defense committee chamber, thoughts of Lucas pushed away as she listened intently to her comm. She hadn't been allowed to follow Jane inside as the meeting was meant to be entirely confidential, but Steven had made sure she could hear what was going on. She was pretty sure what Steven had done wasn't legal, but she was grateful for his consideration and willingness to put his own reputation on the line so that she wouldn't be cut out of the loop concerning Jane.

Even though she hadn't gone inside, Hannah had observed the members of the committee file past when they entered the room. She'd been surprised and encouraged by one face in the bunch: her old captain, Maddock. She knew Maddock had retired soon after Jules returned from Omega. Maddock had sent her an e-mail, thanking her for bringing Jules back home and informing her that he was leaving the life of a ship's captain to go home to Earth so he and Lourdes could pull out of galactic concerns and make their family a priority. However, Hannah hadn't been aware that someone had convinced Maddock to sit on the defense committee. When she saw him, her eyes lit up in hope. Maddock refrained from conversing with her, but acknowledged her presence with a nod, his face stone as always when something serious demanded his attention. Hannah thought that Maddock might be able to sway the committee in Jane's favor. He _knew_ Jane, knew who she was, that she would never have destroyed an entire system out of malice, but as a last desperate act.

After the members had entered the chamber, Hannah had taken a seat in the lounge outside the door, her ears attentive to the proceedings unfolding inside. The committee leader began by summarizing the situation, then asked Jane and Anderson to provide a legitimate explanation of the events. Anderson had deferred to Steven who related why he'd sent Jane to Bahak in the first place. Jane picked up the story to describe how events played out as she attempted to carry out Hackett's request. The committee scrutinized every decision Jane had made, asking numerous questions. Jane responded as best she could, speaking honestly and simply as Anderson had instructed. At the end of her story, Anderson intervened and asked the committee to allow Jane to describe other things she had witnessed, the Collectors and the human reaper.

Jane had just launched into her previous experiences when Hannah was distracted by a beep sounding from her data pad. She pulled the pad out of her pocket and looked down, trying to both pay attention to Jane's words and determine who was contacting her. An icon flashed, telling her she had an incoming call. Hannah figured she'd better take the call; for all she knew, Jenson needed her input on something concerning the Orizaba. She stood and moved down the hall, finding a quiet alcove where she could take the call without being disturbed.

When Hannah's screen came to life, the face on the other end caused her to suck in a startled breath. Four black eyes stared back at her and the scar on the right side of the face left her with no doubt: she was looking at Keta La'ali.

Hannah pulled the comm out of her ear and gaped in disbelief. "Keta?"

"Hi," Keta said. Hannah couldn't tell where she was. The background behind her was a generic gray wall.

"You're alive," Hannah stammered out. "Lucas said you went to Aratoht…"

"Yeah, I did. But not for long," Keta clarified. Her face took on a look of repentance. "I didn't mean to worry him."

"He thinks you're dead."

Keta sighed. "Grufax…grufax…"she muttered in a tone that expressed not disdain, but sorrow. "I was in and out of the Bahak system before it was destroyed."

"So, where are you now?"

"It's better if I don't say. I've been trying to reach the grufax. I was out of touch for a while. Apparently, I gave him quite a fright. Anyway, I thought maybe I could reach you and then talk to him."

Hannah swallowed hard. "Um…" before she told Keta what had happened with Lucas, she wanted to make sure she and Keta were still on good terms. "Aren't you upset about Bahak? Your brother died."

Keta grimaced. "I was." She paused, scratching her scar. "But…I actually think your daughter must have had a good reason."

Hannah eyed Keta skeptically. "You seem to be the only batarian in the galaxy with that opinion."

Keta laughed. "Most likely. You know the Hegemony's got an astronomical price on your daughter's head now. She'd better watch her back day and night." Keta paused for a moment. When she continued, Hannah heard deep regret in her voice. "Truth is, I knew Hedef would end up dead in some tragic way. He loved the Hegemony too much. They turned him into a good, brainwashed little soldier. Our reunion wasn't congenial. He would have turned me in if I hadn't gotten out quick."

"So…you aren't mad at Jane for killing 300,000 batarians?"

Keta shook her head slowly. "You know all this talk about Reapers. I believe it. I had a friend, a scientist who worked on this artifact the Hegemony found. It scared her to death. She said things similar to your daughter, so similar I can't ignore it as coincidence."

Hannah breathed a sigh. "I'm glad you don't hate Jane."

Keta shrugged her shoulders. "I hated her for a couple days. Then I thought of you, your kindness, loyalty and I just thought you wouldn't have raised a daughter who'd knock out a system for no reason. Take that plus her visions of Reapers, I can put two and two together. So, about my grufax…"

An uncomfortable ache gripped Hannah's chest as she prepared herself to deliver unpleasant news. "Keta, Lucas is at Alliance headquarters here. He thinks…you died and well…he tried to kill Jane."

Keta's four eyes widened. "He'jas!" she shouted out.

"He's under arrest for being absent without leave and attempted murder."

Keta's eyes blinked rapidly. "What are his chances of getting off?"

"Not good," Hannah admitted.

Keta frowned, then spoke quickly. "I've got to go. Can you get a message to him?"

"Sure."

"Tell him I sent him an e-mail. I want him to read it."

"Okay."

"See you round."

"Wait, Keta." Hannah smiled gently. "I'm glad you're alive."

Keta smiled back. "Yeah, thanks. Bye." The screen went blank as Keta shut down the call.

Hannah turned on her heel, striding swiftly back to the detention center, embarrassingly excited about throwing this new turn of events in Lucas' face.

* * *

Hannah stomped into Lucas' cell and crossed the room in seconds. Lucas was lying down on the bed just as before. Hannah forcefully plunked his data pad onto his stomach. "Turn it on and check your e-mail," she commanded shortly. She pulled back from Lucas' bed and paced while he sat up and thumbed on his data pad. Hannah kept flicking her eyes towards him, probing his reaction. She knew he'd seen Keta's e-mail when his eyes became wide as saucers. He put a hand to his head and ran it nervously through his hair.

"She's alive," he breathed out.

Hannah rounded on him. "Yeah. I just talked to her. You tried to kill Jane for nothing." Hannah stared Lucas down with her hands on her hips.

Lucas tore his eyes from the data pad and looked to Hannah. He swallowed. "Still…Jane's a rogue Spectre, she shouldn't have killed those batarians." His voice sounded weak and unsure.

"Oh come on, Lucas," Hannah growled out. "You don't really know that at all. You'd worked up this excuse in your head to make killing my daughter a moral act. Well it wasn't!"

Lucas shook his head, turning back to the data pad and reading Keta's e-mail again. "Isn't she upset?"

"No. In fact, she trusts Jane. Get that. My closest friend, a _human_, won't give my daughter a chance, but a batarian I've only hung out with _twice_ believes her."

Lucas met Hannah's critical gaze and gulped again. "Yeah…uh…" he stammered, searching for words and not finding them.

"You blew your entire career because you let your emotion get the better of you." Hannah shook her head. "I don't know whether I should feel sorry for you or smash your head into the wall."

Lucas lowered his head and placed his data pad on the bed. "What was I thinking?" he whispered. Hannah was ready with a snide reply when she realized tears had appeared in Lucas' eyes. She'd never seen him cry, ever. Her heart softened, just a little, as she watched Lucas dissolve into a broken man.

"You were thinking with your heart instead of your head," Hannah chastised. "You should have learned by now that a good Alliance officer thinks with his head no matter what his heart feels. Goodness knows how many times I've had to put my personal feelings aside just to do this job right."

Lucas brought a hand up to his eyes and wiped them. His cheeks had reddened. Hannah perceived her lecture had hit home. "I've done everything wrong my whole life," Lucas confessed. "My son, Keta, now this."

Hannah contemplated the man in front of her, trying to figure out how to respond. She was confused. Both anger and pity vied for her attention, producing in her a wellspring of tumultuous emotion that immobilized her ability to reply quickly.

Lucas' remorseful face looked up at her. "I'm sorry. Tell Jane I'm sorry. I just…I thought it was right…I…"

Hannah folded her hands over her chest, anger winning out and opening her mouth. "I can tell her, but it's too late for you, isn't it? You made your bed and now you're going to have to lie in it."

"Yeah," Lucas mumbled.

Hannah snatched up Lucas' data pad from the bed in order to return it to the officer on duty at the detention center, then walked back to the door. "I've got a meeting to get back to. Jane's defending actions that she hated to take. Losing the batarians in the Bahak system killed her. She hated to do what she did and she's broken up over it. I told you to give her a chance. Well you didn't. So now you get to man up for your actions just like she is."

As Hannah headed out the door, Lucas called after her. "Wait!"

Hannah paused in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder. "What?"

"How does Keta know I love her?" Lucas' question took Hannah by surprise since she'd expected another weak excuse for his behavior, not curiosity concerning the e-mail he'd received.

"I sent your message, the one where you finally told her how you felt. It was about time. And now…" Hannah left the last part unsaid. Lucas groaned.

Hannah exited the door and glanced back as it closed to see Lucas lay back on the bed, his hands covering his face. As she strode back down the detention hallway, she glanced at Lucas' data pad. It was still on and Keta's e-mail graced the screen. Hannah couldn't help but read what it said.

_Grufax, so, you have to think I'm dead before you admit you love me? I've known it for months. I wondered how long it would take you to get over yourself and be honest with me. So, I bet you're wondering how I feel. Well, truth is, there isn't anybody in the entire galaxy I'd rather spend my life with. Never thought I'd feel that way about a human. We live in crazy times, huh? Write me back when you can. –Keta_

Hannah slowed down her pace, fury at Lucas filling her. This moment should have been a happy one for her. She should have been congratulating Lucas and Keta on their ability to look past prejudices and love each other. But now, any chance for a relationship had been ruined through Lucas' stupidity.

Hannah stood in a short line, waiting to turn Lucas' data pad back in to the on duty officer. As she did, she forced herself to let go of Lucas and their friendship. By the time she handed his data pad over, she'd determined she'd never think of him again.

* * *

When Hannah made it back to the defense committee chamber, she found Jane sitting in the lounge outside, her guard Vega right next to her. Hannah marched straight up to them.

"What's going on?"

Jane gave her a wan smile. "They're talking. Deciding what to do with me."

"How do you think it went?"

"I'm not sure."

"Good," Vega said, his confident tone contradicting Jane's uncertain statement. "The commander told them like it was. I saw their faces. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them crapped their pants right there."

Jane laughed. "Great image, Vega." She sighed. "I'm glad you're so positive anyway. From my perspective, all I saw was skepticism."

"Give them a chance, Commander," Vega said. "They're smart. They'll figure out they need you."

Jane smiled with half her mouth, amused at Vega's confidence. Hannah sat down in an easy chair. "Did you see Maddock?"

Jane nodded. "When I saw him, I thought maybe I stood a chance. I mean, he knows me. That has to stand for something."

"So now we wait."

"Yeah," Jane said, sighing loudly.

"Any idea how long it will take?"

"They didn't say. Who knows."

Hannah sat down in an easy chair and leaned back, tapping her fingers impatiently on the armrest. Time seemed to crawl by as she waited for the chamber door to open. She kept compulsively looking at her omni-tool and was always surprised by how little time had gone by. Ten minutes, then fifteen, then thirty. Hannah tried to make small talk with Jane and Vega, but no one seemed to be able to find much to say. Finally, after almost an hour, the door opened and Steven and Anderson stepped through. Hannah stood. Jane looked at them expectantly.

"They want to see you," Anderson informed Jane. "It's time to make your consequences official."

Jane nodded. She reached out and squeezed Hannah's hand, encouraging her, then walked back into the chamber with Vega, Steven and Anderson. Hannah quickly stuffed her comm back into her ear. She strode back and forth, unable to sit as the knots in her stomach tormented her. She heard the head of the committee speaking in his solemn voice.

"The committee is divided regarding the reality of these so-called Reapers," he began. "As such, we are not willing to act until further proof has been obtained. We propose to work with the batarians to investigate the Bahak incident. Whether they accept our help or not, we _will_ investigate your actions on our own. While the investigation is underway, Commander Shepard, you will remain under house arrest in the detention center. Your title will be removed. No one is to salute you at any time. Understand that this is not a statement of your lack of guilt; it is simply a reprieve until such time as our investigation is complete. You _will_ stand trial when we deem the time is right. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Hannah heard Jane's voice proclaim dutifully.

"It is so here ordered that Commander Shepard be stripped of her post as Commander of the Normandy and that she be placed under house arrest to be monitored at all times. Admiral Anderson, I assume you can take care of your charge and make sure she gets back to her cell?"

"Yes, sir."

"This meeting is adjourned."

Jane was the first to come out the door, Vega at her side, Steven and Anderson following behind. Hannah ran up to Jane and gave her quick hug.

Jane smiled grimly. "It's not over yet."

Anderson put a hand on her shoulder. "But you've got some time to prove your words. I don't want you to waste a moment of your time, Shepard. I don't want you sitting on your butt in that cell. I want you detailing everything you've seen and experienced. We're going to convince the other half of that committee that you're right."

Shepard nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Will I be able to see her?" Hannah asked, afraid Jane's being under house arrest would mean her time with her daughter had come to an end.

Steven answered her question. "I'll work out a schedule for you to see her."

"Mom," Jane said. "I told you I want you out there, not here."

"I know, but I still have leave for a week, right, Steven?" Hannah said, looking to her friend. Steven nodded.

"Alright," Jane consented. "But only a week." She eyed Hannah, Hackett and Anderson in turn. "You guys have to pick up the fight where I left off. I promise, they're on their way and the holocaust they'll bring will put every war we've ever seen to shame."


	34. Escape

Hannah rolled over onto her stomach and reached out to the clock next to her bed. She pulled it close to her face and read the time: 0416. She sighed loudly in frustration. She'd been trying for hours to force some semblance of sleep onto herself. She'd dozed on and off, but deep slumber had eluded her. She hated feeling exhausted and unable to do anything about it. The harder she tried to sleep, the less it came.

Hannah stared into the darkness. She could make out vague shapes: a chair, a table, a couch. Steven had arranged a guest room for her at Alliance headquarters until she had to go back to the Orizaba. She'd take Steven's ship as before since he'd be returning to Arcturus as well. His intent was to prepare for the Reapers as best he could. He wanted to put the fleets through battle drills, get them ready for the onslaught Jane predicted.

Hannah closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing, feeling her chest rise and fall slowly. She knew why she couldn't sleep. Today was the last time she would see Jane for a long while and she didn't want to leave. There was something so wrong about leaving your child behind, locked up and essentially alone. Her motherly instinct consumed her thoughts, telling her to wrap Jane in her arms and never let her go. But Jane didn't want that. Jane had repeatedly insisted Hannah go back to Arcturus and given her advice about how to fight the Reapers, ways to combat their minions face to face. Hannah had taken both mental and written notes. She could at the very least prepare her own people for what was coming.

A gentle chime sounded through the room. Hannah's eyes flickered open. Light filtered across the bed through thin blue curtains. She realized with a start that she had fallen asleep. She looked to the clock again. It was 0650 now. The chime rang again and she stumbled out of bed, wobbling over to the door and pressing its control panel.

"Who is it?"

She heard a familiar voice. "Maddock."

Hannah had wondered if Maddock would seek her out. She hadn't seen him since he'd entered the defense committee chamber for Jane's hearing. "Just a second," Hannah said, then walked over to the closet, pulling out her uniform and dressing quickly. She next went into the bathroom and rushed through a teeth brushing. She may have lived with Maddock and his family for four years, but whenever she was around her old captain, she still felt like a twenty-one year old under the scrutiny of her superior.

Hannah approached the door and pressed the panel. The door slid open to reveal Maddock standing straight and tall, his hands behind his back. His hair had long ago given way to gray and the wrinkles on his face bore testimony to his life of service in the Alliance Navy—the stress of the job had taken its toll. Hannah assumed her appearance would echo his some day. At least Maddock's eyes were the same, their grey depths displaying the wisdom Hannah had come to trust during her first tour of duty in space.

"Come in, sir," she said, gesturing inside.

Maddock sauntered into the room and made his way over to the couch, situating his bulk onto the small settee. "Sir," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "You're a captain now. We're peers. You don't have to call me that."

Hannah smiled slowly. "I wouldn't feel right calling you anything else."

Maddock nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose not."

"Unless you want me to call you 'maddy'," Hannah said, her eyes twinkling.

Maddock laughed at her teasing. "At least you're willing to joke with me now. I'm afraid that nickname is reserved for my wife alone."

Hannah chuckled. "I figured." She sat down in a chair across from Maddock, placing her hands in her lap and wringing them nervously. She had joked only to ease her own anxiety.

"Please, don't be uncomfortable around me," Maddock said, sensing the tension in Hannah's demeanor. "I'm a friend, not a foe, when it comes to Jane."

Hannah let out a relieved breath. "I wondered how you felt about her now."

Maddock leaned back against the couch and brought his right leg up on top of his left knee. "You don't live with someone and watch her grow without learning something about her. The Jane that appeared before the committee is the same Jane who grew up in my home. She's older, more experienced, but the same compassion beats in her heart. She got that compassion from her mother. I'd recognize it any day."

Hannah smiled slightly. She remembered thirty-three years ago when Maddock had commanded her to shower after Daniel's injury on Demeter. He'd done so to force her to deal with her own emotional heart.

"I read Jane's eyes," Maddock continued. "She hated what she did. I could tell she was hurting. I don't care what anyone else on the committee thinks. I _know_ she didn't act maliciously."

Hannah spoke quietly. "I'm so glad you believe her."

Maddock frowned. "I do. But a lot of others don't. Truthfully, her stories scare them to the core. They don't want what she's saying to be true. Honestly, neither do I. But what I want doesn't matter. Jane's seen things and I have no choice but to believe them."

"So what will you do?"

"Try to convince the other half of the committee. Pull the strings I can. Advocate for Jane. It's an uphill battle. They know I'm closely associated with her, so my motives are suspect."

Hannah shook her head. "How do you put up with the paranoia, the overly cautious fear?"

Maddock grinned. "Sometimes I mentally imagine I'm throwing committee members across the room or gunning them down with an assault rifle."

Hannah laughed aloud.

"In all seriousness, it isn't easy, especially after commanding my own ship where the people under me immediately did what I asked instead of questioning everything that came out of my mouth. I put up with it because it keeps me on Earth, with Lourdes and near Jules."

"How is Jules?" Hannah asked, remembering the last time she had seen him when she'd brought him back from Omega.

"Moody, testy, anti-alien…He's still Jules. But he's calmed down a bit. I think his experience with Terra Firma tempered his willingness to get involved with organizations touting lofty goals, so that's good."

"I bet he doesn't believe the Reapers exist."

Maddock guffawed. "No, he doesn't. He's adamant on that point. I avoid that topic altogether when I see him. That and Jane. He doesn't want to ever hear about her. I think he's still embarrassed he was caught tracking her ship. Maybe a little sorry, too."

Poor Jules, Hannah thought. He'd been used and abused, too young and naïve in the galaxy to defend himself. He'd needed a good dose of humility, but she hoped it hadn't harmed his spirit for good.

"What's he up to?"

"Working for a computer company. Programming something. I don't know what. I know ships, not computers."

"Girlfriend?"

Maddock shook his head. "Jules has never exactly been savvy when it comes to social interaction."

Hannah nodded, agreeing. The room fell silent. Hannah wracked her brains trying to think of something to say, but couldn't. Maddock finally broke the silence.

"Well, I came here because I wanted to see you before I left headquarters. I'm going back home for a couple weeks. But I wanted to assure you Jane has my full support. She's not alone in this fight."

"Thank you," Hannah said, gratefully and sincerely. Maddock rose from his seat and Hannah followed. She reached out a hand, Maddock copying her movement. They shook hands, looking into each other's eyes, both acknowledging the underlying friendship and respect that bound them together.

"Tell Lourdes 'hello' for me and I hope she's well," Hannah said as she released Maddock's hand.

He nodded. "I'll do so. You take care of yourself out there. If Jane's right, we don't have much time."

Hannah walked Maddock to the door and watched him walk down the hall, admiring the sturdy gait he'd always had. Maddock was a force to be reckoned with, Hannah thought. If anyone could sway the defense committee, it was him.

* * *

Since she was already up, Hannah decided to eat some breakfast. She made her way to the cafeteria, grabbed an omelet with fruit on the side, then headed for the greenhouse at the center of headquarters. She'd come here each day of the week. It reminded her of the atrium she'd been reading in when Daniel had sought her out in middle school. As she found a quiet bench to eat at, she couldn't help but talk to Daniel now that memory had been stirred.

_Jane's in a fix, Daniel. But she'll get out. I'll make sure of that. You'd still be so proud of her. She's had to make the most awful decisions ever since she joined the Navy, but she's been strong, made the right ones even when it hurt her. She's our girl—special and unique, and awesome, just like you said she'd be_.

After she finished eating, Hannah stood and circled the interior of the greenhouse. She checked the time on her omni-tool. Thirty minutes until she could visit Jane. She picked up her pace, looping the greenhouse several times to use up the clock. Finally, her omni-tool showed 0800. Hannah bolted from the greenhouse, making her way to the detention center. She didn't want to waste one moment of her last morning with Jane.

Hannah passed through security, handing over the pistol she regularly carried and her omni-tool. The guard let her know that Vega had come through a little before and would be able to open Jane's door for her. He also let her walk to Jane's room on her own. By now he'd learned he could trust her completely. It might have helped that Hannah had gone out of her way to get to know him, especially ooooing and ahhhhing over his twin girls' pictures. Hannah wasn't the most adept at making close relationships, but she did know how to get a parent in the palm of her hand. As she neared Jane's room, she found Vega just leaving.

"Ma'am," he said, halting outside Jane's door and saluting when he saw her.

"Vega," she greeted. "How is she?"

"The Commander's good."

Hannah smiled. "You know she isn't a commander anymore."

Vega smirked. "So? I'll call her anything I want."

"Watch it," Hannah teased, "Or the committee will go after _you_ next."

"Let 'em try. Then I can give them the beat down I've been working up to all week."

Hannah shook her head, amused. She'd come to like the young soldier immensely. He was obviously awed by Jane. Hannah knew why Anderson had chosen Vega to be Jane's personal guard—he was completely on her side.

Vega punched the code to open Jane's door, then departed. Hannah stepped inside, skimming the room. It was far more comfortable than Lucas'. As Jane was under house arrest, she'd been afforded a relatively comfortable living space. The room boasted a double bed, book shelves with quite a few hard copy titles, a desk and even a computer with limited, and monitored, access. It was at the computer that Hannah now found Jane. She stepped up behind her chair and peered over her shoulder. Jane was perusing a Palaven news site. The article title at the top of the page read "Primarch Fedorian Proposes New Task Force."

"Whatcha reading?"

Jane jumped and jerked her head to look behind her. "Uh…just…catching up with the galaxy."

Hannah narrowed her eyes as Jane quickly closed the site down and swiveled in the chair to face her mother. She felt that Jane had just been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar. "Why Palaven?"

Jane shrugged.

"Checking up on your turian friend?"

Jane blinked her eyes a couple times. "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't hope to see how he was doing."

Hannah once again wondered about Jane and this turian she'd picked up. Could it be that they…Hannah paused in her thought, considering how strange it would be to have a turian son-in-law. Before she could inquire further, Jane changed the subject.

"Maddock came by to see me."

Hannah cocked her head. "Did he? He came by my room this morning."

"I assume he told you he's on my side."

Hannah nodded. "Said he'd work to convince the committee to wise up."

"Yep," Jane said, confirming Maddock had also told her the same.

An uncomfortable pause filled the room, then Hannah spoke quietly. "I don't want to leave you today."

Jane sighed. "Mom, I don't want to hash this out again. You're going to go and kick the Reapers' in the ass for me."

"I'm not arguing," Hannah explained. "But that doesn't mean it feels right. I'm your mother. I'm supposed to protect you."

Jane smiled. "Well, I've done pretty good protecting myself, haven't I? I'm still alive anyway."

Hannah sat down on Jane's bed, observing her daughter. Now that the ruling had come down, Jane had visibly relaxed. Exhaustion was still evident in her face, but the tension in her shoulders and back had eased. "Maybe it's a good thing they forced you to stop and rest," Hannah mused. "You haven't had a break since you were after Saren. And two years on an operating table doesn't count."

"I'll admit the comfy bed is nice and the food is leagues better," Jane said. "As for resting, Anderson's got me detailing everything. It's going to take me weeks to fill out all the reports he wants."

"At least it will give you something to do."

"Yeah," Jane agreed, glancing back at the computer. Her eyebrows creased suddenly.

"What is it?"

Jane tapped the side of the computer. "The screen went dark for a second."

Hannah laughed. "I don't think the Alliance provides the best for its prisoners. It's probably donated."

"Maybe," Jane said. "Anyway…"

The lights abruptly flickered. Hannah looked up at the ceiling as the lights came on and off several times. "Or…maybe it's an electrical problem."

Jane stood and walked over to her window, looking down into a courtyard. "Something feels wrong."

Hannah smiled gently. "Nothing's wrong. You've spent too much time watching your back all hours of the day. Relax."

Jane breathed deeply and turned. "You're right. What do you want to do today? Play a game? Chat? Read?"

Hannah pulled at her pony tail, thinking. "I feel like we should do something significant since we won't see each other in a while, but I can't think of anything."

Jane's face broke into a wide grin. "I know exactly what we can do," she said, touching a finger to her forehead. She strode over to the bookshelf and pulled out a thin, little book. She handed it to Hannah whose eyes widened when she read the title.

"_The Space Fish_? Here? Why?"

Jane laughed. "Who knows? It's not exactly Alliance required reading, is it? Makes me wonder who occupied this room before me. But I won't lie. I found it yesterday and read it more than once. Something about the familiar words brings back dad's voice. It felt good."

Hannah stared at Jane. She had wistful look on her face. "He'd be so proud of you."

Jane glanced down at her, her eyes somber. "He'd be proud his sunshine's under house arrest?"

Hannah nodded. "Yes, he would. He'd be proud you could make the hard decisions, do the job right no matter the cost."

Jane sat down next to Hannah. "I hope so."

"I _know_ so," Hannah encouraged. She opened the book Jane had handed her and smiled at the drawing of a plump orange fish in the ocean whose thought bubble displayed a picture of a rocket in outer space. "So…You want me to read it?"

Jane shrugged. "Why not?"

Hannah felt a little silly, but why not, indeed? She cleared her throat, then began. "Once there was a fish. He did not like the ocean. He thought the ocean was boring. He wanted…'" Hannah stopped abruptly. The room had gone dark, now lit only by the window. A couple seconds later, a blaring, harsh alarm sounded outside the door. Jane stood and walked to the door. It slid open and the alarm grew louder. She sent a worried gaze to Hannah.

"It shouldn't open."

Hannah put _The Space Fish_ on the bed, the plight of its protagonist forgotten. "What's wrong?"

Running footsteps pounded down the hall. Three guards came rushing past the door. One of them stopped and glared at Jane. "Shut your door, prisoner! That's an order!"

Jane stepped back and the door slid shut. She rushed to the window and sucked in a breath as she looked down. Hannah stood, joining her at the window. Several people lay motionless in the courtyard below. Several figures in armor were entering the detention center.

"Are they here for you?" Hannah asked, anxiety coloring her voice.

Jane breathed out slowly. "Maybe."

Hannah walked to the door and it slid open again. "Come with me," she commanded her daughter.

"I'm supposed to stay here."

"No," Hannah spoke decisively, her eyes hard on Jane. "I'll take the blame for this. If they're here to kill you, this is the first place they'll come. We're getting out of here."

Jane hesitated a few seconds, then nodded, following her mother out into the darkened hallway lit only by red emergency lights.

* * *

Hannah's first intention was to go back to the entrance of the detention center and ask for her gun back. As she and Jane traversed the halls, she considered how to convince the guard to hand over her gun when she had her daughter with her. She wished everyone knew how trustworthy Jane was, that she wouldn't be making a break for it during the chaos.

"Where is everyone?" Jane pondered aloud, walking next to Hannah.

"I don't know. It shouldn't be like this." They had met no one so far, which worried Hannah. She'd not seen the halls empty all week. She picked up the pace, wanting to get Jane out of the center as quickly as possible.

As they approached the entrance to the center, they had a clear view of the guard's room since three of its sides contained glass windows. Jane reached out a hand and pulled on Hannah's shoulder, causing her to slow down.

"A krogan," she hissed out.

Hannah scrutinized the room and saw that Jane was right. A reddish krogan stood inside the room, looking this way and that as a man in armor leaned over next to him in front of a computer. Obviously, they weren't affiliated with the Alliance. Hannah sank to the ground at the same time as Jane. They crawled forward slowly, silently, until they were right next to the door of the room. It appeared to be jammed open and they could hear the krogan and the man discussing.

"Hurry up!" the krogan growled out.

"I'm working on it. There's a lot of info here," the man protested.

"We should have been in and out by now."

"Look. We didn't have a map of this place, so we're going to have to make do. That's why you and your friends came along, right?"

The krogran responded with a grunt.

"Got it. He's in cellblock B, number 12."

"Listen up!" the krogan spoke authoritatively. "Head to cellblock B." Hannah assumed he must be speaking into a comm, supposedly to the other armored figures they'd seen in the courtyard. The location revealed they weren't after Jane. Who then? Was this a prison break or something more sinister?

Hannah felt a tap on her arm. Jane nodded toward the door and indicated she was going to rush the two when they exited. Hannah shook her head, but it was too late; the krogan had already stepped through the door. Jane jumped up and tackled him. The krogan cried out angrily, tousling with Jane as she struggled for his rifle. Jane's bold move alerted the man with the krogan. He emerged from the room with his rifle leveled and ready to shoot. Luckily, he took no notice of Hannah, the fight between Jane and the krogan drawing all his attention. Hannah bounded off the floor and karate chopped the man's arm, causing him to lose his grip on his rifle. It clattered to the ground and Hannah made a grab for it. The young man yelled, startled, but recovered quickly, kicking Hannah in the stomach as her fingertips brushed the rifle on the ground. Hannah doubled over, but still managed to thrust her foot out, kicking the rifle away as the man tried to recover it. The rifle slid across the floor, near Jane and the krogan, still struggling with each other.

"Jane! The rifle!" Hannah called out.

Jane eyed the man's rifle. She let go of the krogan and snatched up the rifle in an instant. She turned and fired, her shot tearing a hole in the krogan's armor at his right thigh. The alien howled out in pain and dropped his own rifle, clutching at his leg as blood poured from the hole. Suddenly, Jane was pounced upon by the man who clawed at her from behind. Hannah stumbled over to the krogan's rifle, commandeering it. She held it up at eye level.

"Get off her, now!" she commanded.

"It's too late, lady," the man ground out. It was then Hannah saw that the man held a knife to Jane's throat. Jane eyed her conspiratorially. She wasn't afraid. In fact, she was all too confident.

Hannah flicked an eye to the krogan sitting on the ground, groaning and gripping his leg.

"Give my friend his rifle back or she dies," the man warned. Now that things had come to a stalemate, Hannah was able to get a good look at him. He was young, maybe in his early twenties. He had tousled pale brown hair and a distinct tattoo inked onto his neck, a red scythe. He reached over Jane's shoulder and yanked his rifle out of her grip.

The krogan now stood and ripped his own rifle out of Hannah's hand. At the same moment, Jane threw her elbow backwards into the young man's stomach and ducked under his knife. She wrenched it out of his grasp and raised it, but never got to thrust it down. A shot rang out and Jane cried out, clutching her arm as blood dripped from her elbow.

Hannah turned on the krogan who had just fired on her daughter, angry, her fists pummeling him. The krogan managed to get a hold of Hannah's shoulders, uttering a deep cry as he performed a mighty headbutt. When he let her go, she stumbled backwards, her head swimming, her eyes unfocused. She knelt to the floor. Jane jumped in front of her, shielding her from the krogan and man leveling their guns in her direction.

"Let's go," Hannah heard the young man's urgent voice. "We've already messed up."

"Wait…Do you know who this is? It's Shepard."

There was a pause, then the young man's voice, full of awe. "Yeah."

"Do you know how much bounty is on her head?"

The young man spoke quickly. "Come on, Krik, she said no killing."

"It would be so easy," Krik argued. "20 million credits in one kill."

"We're not here for her."

"What? You a Shepard-lover?"

"It's just…I just…That's not the job. I swear I'll gun you down if you try it."

The krogan suddenly laughed harshly. "I'd like to see you try. Alright, let's go."

Hannah saw the krogan's feet as he walked up to Jane, her vision getter hazier by the minute. Jane screamed in agony. Hannah looked up and thought she saw the krogan, Krik, squeezing Jane's elbow. "You come after us, I _will_ claim that bounty."

Hannah heard departing footsteps as the two attackers walked away. Her vision was almost completely gone.

"Mom, mom, are you okay?"

Hannah felt her body falling to the floor, then the world went dark.

* * *

Hannah came to a little while later. A cold sensation covered her forehead. She reached up and felt an ice pack. She fought the rip roaring headache tormenting her and gradually opened her eyes. She was inside the guard's room. Jane sat next to her on the floor, an emergency medical kit open next to her. She was in the process of binding the wound at her elbow with a strip of cloth, now pulling it tight with her teeth, apparently trying to make a rough tourniquet.

"How bad are you hurt?" Hannah asked, then moaned. It hurt to talk.

"Bad," Jane spoke through gritted teeth. "There's no medi-gel in here." She nodded to the kit, then spoke angrily. "Who doesn't stock medi-gel? Is the Alliance that shoddy now?"

"Maybe they already used it for something else."

"Right. That other infiltration of Alliance headquarters we never heard about," Jane came back sarcastically, disagreeing with Hannah's attempt to defend the Alliance.

Hannah changed the subject as she rubbed her temples, not in the mood to argue with Jane. "How have you survived so long pulling stunts like that?"

Jane actually smiled and Hannah suddenly realized this was the first time she'd ever fought side by side with her daughter. She was one tough cookie. "Taking them by surprise usually works. The krogan was stronger than I thought he'd be."

"I'll say," Hannah groaned, sitting up and gasping at the pain in her head.

"I'm worried about you," Jane said, placing a hand on Hannah's shoulder.

"I'll be fine, I think," Hannah replied.

"I tried to trace them with the cameras," Jane then said, her tone changing from one of concern to one of authority. "But they're all offline. The guard's out cold."

Hannah glanced across the room and spied a still form underneath the computer desk. "He's not dead?"

Jane shook her head. "I think they gassed him or something." She pushed herself shakily to her feet with her good arm. "I'm going after them."

Hannah now stood abruptly, clenching her teeth at the pain reeling through her head. "No. I will. You're staying here." She stumbled over to the cubbies that held the possessions of visitors and pulled out her pistol and omni-tool.

"Mom, you're in no condition…"

"You're worse than I am."

"This? Oh come on, I've faced way worse than this."

"Yeah, and even _you_ admitted it was bad."

"Mom, you stay here…"

"No! Listen to me, Jane. I'm your mother and you're staying put and that's final. That krogan said he'd kill you and I believe him." Hannah marched towards the door, forcing herself to walk steadily on her feet to emphasize her ability to handle the situation. She looked back over her shoulder as she exited. "If that's not enough, I outrank you. I'm ordering you to stay here and get medical attention. Got it."

Jane shook her head, but acquiesced verbally. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Hannah made her way to cellblock B. Not only had she remembered the cell the two assailants had mentioned, she also found tracking them easy since the krogan had left a trail of blood as he walked. Her sight had returned in its entirety and the pain in her head was gradually fading. She did, however, feel a tender spot on her forehead and avoided thinking about what the bruising would look like.

When she reached the cellblock, Hannah paused at the end. The entrance had been jammed open just like the door at the guard's room. She pushed her back against the wall and slid over to the side of the door, slowly peeping her head around the corner. A guard's body lay in the middle of the hall, but no one else was in sight. Hannah stepped into the hall, navigating carefully, trying to see clearly by the subdued red emergency lights. She knelt next to the guard and put a couple fingers to his neck. His pulse beat strong. He wasn't dead either. What kind of rescuers were these people? They came with guns, but had been commanded not to kill. She didn't understand.

Hannah stood and walked a few more feet, peering through the window of cell 12. No one was inside. Hannah made her way back out of the cellblock. Once they rescued their prisoner, where would they head? Would they go back to the entrance? Back where Jane was? Hannah started to walk back to the guard's room when she heard a rustle in the other direction. She held her pistol out with both hands and crept down the hall, ready for any attack. When she turned the corner, she saw another guard on the floor, only he was moving and gasping for breath. Hannah approached and knelt down next to him. She recognized him as the one who'd commanded Jane to stay in her room.

"They're…heading to…the landing pad…" he stammered out between shallow breaths. He slipped off his omni-tool and pushed it into her hands. He gestured to a stairwell not far down the hall. Hannah nodded and made for the stairs. She climbed the steps as quickly as possible, determined to stop the invaders. After what seemed like hours, but was most likely minutes, she reached the top. Using the guard's omni-tool, she worked to unlock the door. In a few seconds, the door slid open revealing a flat roof high above the detention center. Hannah exited and looked down below. Only one story down was the landing pad for the center. A ship was already parked there, its engines coming to life. A mixed retinue of human and alien figures stood outside it, guns held at the ready. Hannah knelt down and crawled to the edge of the roof, thinking how to stop the ship from taking off. There was a ladder to her right that she could slide down to reach the pad.

However, before Hannah could come up with an idea, the krogan, limping as he walked, and the young man emerged onto the landing pad, heading towards the ship. An older man walked between them. Hannah tried to get a good look at who was so important professionals had been sent to bust him out. When she did, she gasped aloud. The graying hair and the gait were unmistakable. It was Lucas. They'd come to rescue her former XO. Why? How did Lucas know these two? _How much don't I know about Lucas' life?_ Hannah asked herself.

Hannah's hands trembled as she aimed her pistol down below. What was her duty now? Stop the escaping prisoner? She could stop him easily, take him down right now. She didn't have to kill him, just wound him, go for his legs. But then, they might just pull him on board anyway and get away. She could kill him, stop him entirely. But it was Lucas down there. What should she do?

They had almost reached the ship. Hannah's finger began to inch backwards, pulling on the trigger. Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere and pushed forcefully down on the barrel of her gun. Hannah looked up to see Jane standing above her.

"What…"

"You'd never forgive yourself, mom. Trust me. I know."

The engine of the ship below roared loudly. Hannah watched as the ship lurched upwards, then took to the sky, soon nothing but a dot on the morning horizon. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the clear, blue sky, utterly worn out. _I'm too old for this crap_, Hannah told herself. She felt Jane sit down next to her. Hannah looked over and saw her cradling her arm.

"I thought I ordered you not to follow me," she reprimanded her daughter.

"If you recall, I'm not even a commander anymore. I can do whatever I want." Jane spoke defiantly, yet through labored breathing.

Hannah shook her head at her daughter's rebellious attitude. "You needed to go to medical."

"I will. Just give me a minute to catch my breath."

"Shepard! Shepard!" a voice came from the stairwell. In a few moments, Vega burst onto the roof, rifle in hand, head snapping back and forth. When he saw Jane, he marched over to her, then knelt down. "You're hurt!"

"Cool it, Vega."

Hannah waved at Vega. "She needs to get to medical."

Vega nodded shortly to Hannah, then reached over to pick up Jane.

"My arm's injured," Jane protested, "Not my legs. I can get there on my own."

"You're pale," Vega argued. "You've lost a lot of blood."

"Let him carry you," Hannah insisted.

"No way," Jane said, slamming her good hand into the ground. "I'm not letting anyone carry me into medical like a child."

Hannah sighed. "At least lean on the guy."

"Okay," Jane acquiesced, willing to go that far. She stood and gripped Vega's arm as they headed towards the stairs.

Hannah slowly stood to her feet. She glanced below one more time before following Jane and Vega. A guilt-inducing question assaulted her thoughts: _If Jane hadn't stopped me, would I have killed Lucas?_ She couldn't even begin to answer that question.

* * *

Once they made it to medical, Jane was whisked away into surgery. The shot from Krik's gun had lodged more than one projectile into her elbow and they would need to be removed immediately. Before she would go with the doctor, Jane insisted on consoling Vega who was chastising himself viciously over not being there when she needed him. He'd tried to get back into the center when the alarm sounded, but the area had been shut down to block any escape attempts. He vowed never to let Jane down again. Jane told him to buck up and stop acting like an idiot and call Anderson to let him know she was alright. This left Hannah alone, waiting for Jane to reemerge. She'd already talked to Steven over her comm, reassuring him both she and Jane were going to be fine.

Hannah spent the next 45 minutes flipping through her data pad and then old hard copy magazines in the waiting room. She paced a good bit as well. More than anything, she tried to avoid thinking about Lucas, to push away questions concerning the possibility that she could have killed him if she hadn't been stopped.

Finally, the doctor came out and announced Hannah could see Jane who had awoken from the anesthesia. She found Jane laying comfortably in a hospital bed. She stood next to the bed and took Jane's hand, squeezing it. Jane looked up at her with a goofy smile. Hannah smiled back, recognizing her daughter wasn't entirely with it yet. "How are you?"

"Fine. Good."

"Good."

"How are you?"

"I've been better."

"Your head?" Jane's eyebrows creased in worry.

"It's fine."

"You got a good bruise."

Hannah sighed. "I figured that would happen."

"Looks stylish."

Hannah laughed, but her laughter soon faded into a sad sigh.

"You're thinking about him, your friend, your XO," Jane said, her words coming slowly as she brought her thoughts to fruition through the fog of waking up from surgery.

"Yeah. I could have stopped him."

"Sure," Jane agreed. "You could have killed your best friend and it would have eaten you up for the rest of your life."

"Why did you say you knew that? What did you do?" Hannah asked warily, recalling Jane's words on the roof.

Jane smiled broadly. "Wasn't me. I stopped Garrus from killing an old friend. It's strange how people seem to think killing someone will take away the pain. It never does. It just means you never get a chance to make it right."

Hannah stared at Jane, listening to wisdom come out of her daughter's mouth, even in a groggy state. How old was Jane now? Sixty? It seemed she had aged so much over the years, forced to grow up to maturity through the experiences she'd faced.

"I guess…you're probably right."

"I know I'm right," Jane said arrogantly and Hannah smiled again. She wondered how much of this conversation Jane would remember. She thought back to when Jane had gotten her wisdom teeth pulled as a teen. She'd said all kinds of things, revealed some embarrassing school girl crushes. Hannah had been kind and never told her how much she'd said. Now, Hannah's memory spurred an idea. Maybe she could wheedle out of Jane some similar kind of information now.

"So, um…Garrus…tell me more about him."

Jane grinned. "Garrus…Nice looking turian…Attractive." She paused. "Is that weird, for a human to say that about a turian?"

Hannah tried not to laugh. Jane was already saying too much. "I don't think so. You've always liked turians."

Jane nodded. "Yeah, maybe that's why it was so easy to come on to Garrus."

Hannah giggled inside. So, it was Jane who had instigated the relationship. Hannah's suspicions had been confirmed. Her daughter was in love with a turian. It wasn't so surprising really. Jane had always had a soft place in her heart for alien races.

"So, how serious is this relationship?"

"Well…" Before Jane could go on, a new voice entered the conversation.

"Shepard, glad to see you're alright."

Hannah looked over to see Steven entering the room.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine."

"She's still waking up," Hannah whispered.

Steven nodded. "The doctor says you'll be back to your cell by the end of the day."

Jane knit her eyebrows. "Cell…Just what I need when Reapers are coming."

Hannah eyed Steven. Jane's mouth was flowing freely.

"Yes, well, keep your anger to yourself for the time being."

"Sure, sir."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take your mother home now."

Hannah sighed, willing tears to stay away from her eyes. She didn't want to leave. "I wish we had more time, especially now," she said to Jane.

"Go, mom," Jane said, her eyes hard. "Go and give 'em hell for me."

"I will," Hannah promised, leaning over to embrace Jane in a tight hug.

* * *

Before Hannah left with Steven, she was interviewed by detention security regarding who had helped Lucas escape. She gave a description of the krogan and young man, but couldn't be of much help. Security was in a tizzy, everyone upset that Alliance headquarters could be infiltrated so easily. The rescue had been well organized. It turned out the bulk of the infiltrating force had attacked a different part of the center, giving the young man and krogan time to find Lucas and get him to the ship. All of them had gotten away. Hannah was sure heads would roll over the event. She was glad dealing with the fallout wasn't her job.

Within an hour, Hannah was back on Steven's ship headed to Arcturus. She'd fallen into a melancholy mood. It would have been hard enough to leave Jane under house arrest; leaving her with an injury to boot made it much worse. When her daughter needed her the most, she had to leave. She'd contemplated just telling Steven she was resigning, but it didn't seem right, not when the Navy needed every person who did believe in the coming threat on its side.

She and Steven spoke little, talking mainly strategy regarding the training of the Navy for the coming attack. For the most part, Steven left her to herself, getting the message loud and clear through her body language that she wanted to be left alone. She tried to sleep, but only managed to doze. She was called out of one of her foggy attempts when her data pad beeped. She looked down to see a new e-mail message. She turned it on and read the message.

_Hannah, I'm writing to apologize. I specifically ordered that no one be injured during his rescue. Those responsible are being punished as I write this. I didn't want you to be part of this. Sorry. Oh. And the grufax is in good hands._

The message was anonymous, but its author clear nonetheless. Keta had been behind the attack. Hannah breathed slowly. She should have guessed Keta wouldn't sit back while the man she loved went to prison. It wasn't in her nature to let justice take its course.

Hannah closed her eyes again. She supposed she should tell Steven who had rescued Lucas, but she didn't want to. Part of her was actually glad Lucas had gotten away, that he'd found his way to the batarian he loved. At least with Lucas and Keta together, Hannah felt her guilt at almost killing him alleviated slightly. She was sick and tired of dealing with Lucas in her head. She'd gone from raging at him to feeling sorry for him to wanting to kill him to hoping he found some kind of peace with Keta. What she really wanted to do was wash her hands of him completely.

_Go, Lucas, _she said inside. _Hide away with Keta and promise me you're never coming back._

With those words, Hannah felt a burden lift off her shoulders, then the comforting darkness of sleep descended.


	35. Slaughter

Hannah peered down at the tactical map, tracing the movements of various Alliance ships.

"Jenson, enemy squadron on Gamma's tail!" she warned. Jenson spoke quickly into his comm, alerting Gamma to the danger. In no time at all, Gamma had swung about and annihilated the enemy.

"Captain, two cruisers have eluded defenses. Headed our way," Jenson informed her.

"Hit them with the broadside," Hannah ordered.

"Aye, ma'am."

Hannah watched the cruisers disappear from the tactical map. There was a whoop of victory from the bridge crew and Hannah grinned. A voice came over the general comm.

"Excellent work, Orizaba. I commend your crew and its ability. We concede defeat."

Hannah activated her shipwide comm. "I'm proud of you all. We will resume normal ship function as of now. To celebrate our success, I'm authorizing leave rotation to Arcturus Station. Captain out."

Hannah skimmed the bridge, smiling over her crew. They'd won another battle. The Orizaba had yet to be on the losing side of a drill. _Let the Reapers come_, Hannah said defiantly to herself. _We'll show them they've messed with the wrong people._ Hannah looked over at Sadik Jenson. The young man, now her XO, had earned her full respect over the last six months. He was at least fifteen years her junior, but he was alert, intelligent and dependable. She'd learned to read his face, to anticipate the quick thinking she knew was active when his black eyebrows creased and he clenched his teeth. The moment his deep brown eyes became hard as stone, she knew he'd found a solution to a problem and would soon give her advice. His counsel was valuable and sound. So far, she's always agreed with his assessments.

Hannah sighed inwardly. She had come to appreciate Jenson, but that's as far as their relationship went. Back on Earth, when she'd had that precious week with Jane after her hearing, Jane had encouraged her to close the distance between herself and her crew, insisting that befriending them would draw them to her side more than ordering them around. Jane explained that becoming personal with her own crew had made them willing to do anything she asked at any time. Hannah had tried to follow Jane's advice, but she found her own personality wasn't conducive to breaking down barriers with the crew. She wasn't used to talking to her crew, but commanding them.

Hannah frowned as she thought. _I'm pretty much friendless_, she admitted to herself. Her two year rant about Jane and the Reapers hadn't made people eager to get to know her. Even before that, Daniel's death had changed everything. They'd had couples as friends, but it seemed once Hannah became a single, their married friends didn't know how to relate to her. That, and she'd also left Mythos for Arcturus. She'd thrown her life into Jane, putting aside her own hobbies and solitary joys to be the mom Jane needed.

"Captain? Are you alright?"

Hannah blinked her eyes, pulled out of her reverie by Jenson. "Yes, fine, Commander. Your performance was exemplary. Good work."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jenson beamed, receiving her praise.

"Why don't you take the next few hours off. You deserve it."

Jenson shrugged. "I'd rather stay on the bridge, if that's okay, ma'am."

"Certainly. It's your call." Hannah watched Jenson walk over to discuss an issue with a tactical officer. The young man was dedicated, a perfect XO…but not her friend, not like…Hannah stopped her thoughts in their tracks. It had been six months since Lucas had escaped and still, he intruded on her thoughts at least once a week. She hadn't heard from him or Keta since the escape and she wanted to keep it that way. But still, she missed actually having a friend she could talk to, someone who would let her unload and respect her anyway.

Hannah shook her head and stretched her neck back and forth, pushing her thoughts away. It was no use dwelling on past hurts. That never accomplished anything. Right now, she needed all her concentration on the Reapers. She called out to Jenson. "I'm going to the conference room."

"Yes, ma'am," Jenson replied, giving her a quick salute, then turning back to his conversation.

Hannah walked into the conference room and sat down at its long table with her data pad. She scrolled through information on the most recent drill, perusing the number of ships they'd "lost." She found her mind pulled away, though, settling on Jane, still back on Earth under house arrest. Most of the defense committee believed her now, but that hadn't changed her status. The batarian Hegemony was still up in arms that she hadn't been turned over to them or faced a public trial yet. The Alliance higher ups had done a good job coming up with excuses, but Hannah wondered how long they could shield Jane from the inevitable. The time would come when Jane would be forced to answer for her actions in some way besides defending herself to a defense committee too scared of her claims to get rid of her.

Hannah ran a hand over her head, stopping at the bun at the nape of her neck, pausing to fiddle with a couple loose strands. Sometimes she wished the Reapers would just come so they could get the fight over with. Her crew had not only taken part in battle drill after battle drill, but she also had them on a combat training schedule. She'd explained to her combat officer the various techniques Jane had taught her. He'd done his duty and prepped the crew, though he'd seemed a little hesitant. She was glad Alliance officers had learned to obey even when they didn't understand. It was hard enough training her people to fight an enemy they didn't believe in without officers questioning her judgment.

"Captain, urgent vid call from Admiral Hackett coming in," Hannah heard Toureau's voice in her ear.

"Thank you."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hannah stood and walked over to the vid comm, activating it. Steven shimmered into existence, his face more serious than usual.

"The latest drill went well…" Hannah began but Steven interrupted.

"We've lost contact with several deep space outposts."

Hannah felt her heart leap in her chest. She put a hand to her neck. "Reapers?"

"We can't be sure yet, but I'd stake my life on it. I'm ordering everyone to battle readiness. Let your crew know this is not a drill."

"Yes, sir," Hannah replied, falling back into duty mode.

"Hannah," Steven said, his tone suddenly soft, his sky blue eyes tender. "I don't know what's going to happen from here on out. If I don't see you again, it's been an honor serving with you."

Hannah felt a sting in her eyes, but she stood tall and saluted. "You, too, sir. But don't give in yet. We've got capable, battle trained fleets. We're ready."

"I hope so. Hackett out."

Hannah turned once Steven's image had disappeared, marching for the door, putting on her game face. This was it.

* * *

Forty-five minutes passed by after Hannah sent out the call to battle stations. She paced on the bridge next to her helmsman, Jim Stewart, glancing out the window every so often. The fleets were in position, right in front of Arcturus Station, ready to protect her and the mass relay in system. They were bound and determined that no Reapers would get through to Earth.

Hannah had given a last speech to her people, spurring them to stay alert and diligent and make humanity proud. She'd never been in a war before. She'd been on rescue missions mostly, always on the defensive. This was different. Her heart beat in anticipation and she found both excitement and dread combining uncomfortably in her emotions.

"Captain, look!" Stewart called out.

Hannah stopped pacing and probed the forward view. Flashes of light indicated that the battle had begun. Hannah put her ear to her comm, talking as she strode back to the tactical map. "We have incoming enemies. Stay sharp, stay focused."

She leaned over the map when she reached it, Jenson right next to her. She blinked several times and worked to keep a gasp from escaping her mouth. "How many?"

Jenson's grim brown eyes were captivated by the map. "Too many to count," he breathed out, his voice shaking.

One whole side of the system map was covered in red dots, each one indicating a Reaper coming their direction. Hannah's heart sunk. How arrogant she had been to think all their drills had prepared them for this. Now she prayed silently they'd just make it through the next few minutes.

"Fighters, assemble!" Hannah called into her comm. "I want you out there, now!"

"Aye, ma'am," a voice acknowledged.

"Jenson," Hannah spoke sharply. The young man turned to her, obviously still shaken. "We're going to give 'em hell, you got me?"

Hannah's words penetrated Jenson's fear and he straightened, his face now resolute. "Yes, ma'am. Of course, ma'am."

"Then get to it."

Jenson put his hand to his ear, watching the map and issuing orders. Hannah kept her eye on the map as well. The wave of red was making its way to their position faster than she'd expected. In only a moment, they'd be at Arcturus Station.

"Fifth Fleet," Steven's voice came through the comm, "Take the rear. Don't let _one_ of those enemies through."

"They've hit the Second Fleet!" Jenson called out.

"Steady," Hannah warned. "Prepare to engage enemy."

Hannah stared at the map, disbelief causing her to fall into stunned silence. Whole Alliance flotillas were already flickering out of existence. Her heart almost stopped. What had they gotten themselves into?

"They've punched a hole to the Fifth Fleet!" Jenson called out only minutes later.

"Evasive action!" Hannah commanded. "Fire all weapons when they're in range." Bridge crew rushed back and forth from station to station, calculating, strategizing, issuing orders. She felt the slight tremble of the ship as all of its weapons fired at once.

"Ma'am," Jenson said, turning his serious gaze her direction, "The station is under attack."

Hannah stalked over to the helm. Looking out, she saw hundreds of ships in the midst of life or death battles. She hadn't seen a Reaper since Sovereign two years ago. Now, there were hundreds of Sovereigns outside the hull of the Orizaba, maybe even thousands. From her perspective, the Alliance wasn't making much of a dint in their forces. But that didn't matter; they had to protect the station.

"Swing us around," Hannah ordered her helmsman. "Get us in range of the station."

The bulk of the dreadnought began to move, firing as it went. Smaller Reaper ships were being dispatched, but it took several shots before they were eliminated and it seemed every time one went down, two took its place. The station had just come into view when Hannah was interrupted by Jenson.

"Captain! They're headed to the relay!"

Hannah rushed back to the map. Most of the red wave had moved away from the battle, making for the relay. The attack on the station had been a ploy to keep them occupied.

"Turn her around!" Hannah called out. "After them!"

"We can't, Captain," Stewart yelled out. "Reaper in our way, firing with all it's got. Our fighters are going down."

The tactical map showed Hannah he was right. An enemy ship stood right in their path. Luckily, two cruisers were already on his tail, weapons pummeling it. "Fire all you've got!"

Hannah felt the Orizaba shake and groan as it took fire from the Reaper.

"Barriers down!" another officer shouted out.

Hannah's knuckles went white as she gripped the rail around the tactical map. She brought a hand to her ear. "Our barriers are down! We need any aid that can be sent our way!"

The Orizaba was now shaking violently, her bridge crew holding onto their stations to maintain their positions. Hannah didn't know how much more her ship could take. The Reapers were far more powerful than she'd imagined. It had been one thing to listen to Jane's stories, experiencing them was a whole other matter. Now she knew exactly why Jane had to destroy Bahak. What she was in now wasn't a battle; it was a slaughter.

"It's backing off!" Jenson announced triumphantly.

Hannah saw why. Another dreadnought had appeared on its aft side. "Keep firing!" Hannah shouted. The Reaper was taking an enormous amount of damage, but still, it hadn't been destroyed. Hannah didn't understand how it could be so impervious to damage. The Reaper turned faster, then accelerated out of range.

"Who came to our aid?" she asked Jenson.

"The Kilimanjaro, ma'am," Jenson replied.

Hannah smiled. She put her hand to ear. "Admiral Novikov, we owe you one."

"My pleasure, Captain," came her old Admiral's voice. She could imagine the short, bald Novikov, standing tall, hands behind his back, angry grimace on his face as he tore through the battle.

"Captain," Jenson drew her attention, "The enemy is pulling back, regrouping. I think they're preparing for a larger push."

Hannah heard a sudden voice in her ear, strained, yet determined. "Third and Fifth Fleets! This is Admiral Hackett. I'm ordering a retreat effective immediately. Get out any way you can."

Hannah gulped. Retreat? Already? It felt like they'd only been in battle for a few minutes. Could their situation be that desperate? Hannah once again focused her attention on the tactical map. Alliance ships had been completely overwhelmed and the fleets were losing more ships by the minute. The bulk of the red wave was gone, already through the relay. The station itself was surrounded by numerous red dots. Her heart sank. They had lost and so quickly. They were like ants easily stepped on by the larger, stronger Reapers. Jane had been all too right—this was war like they had never seen before.

"Jenson," she spoke somberly, "Get us through the relay."

"But, ma'am…"

"Do it," she said grimly. She didn't want to leave, would have argued if Steven would have listened. But she knew he wouldn't have ordered a retreat unless he saw no hope. She remembered an old Earth saying she had disagreed with vehemently when she first heard it: "He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day." It had sounded so cowardly at the time. Now, she understood. There was a time to fight and a time to run away, to heal wounds so you could come back stronger and with a plan.

As her ship pulled out, the Reaper that had assaulted them previously moved back, blocking its exit. Hannah felt a sudden jerk of the Orizaba, then groans and creaks echoing and popping, heard even on the bridge. "Jenson, what's going on?"

Her XO pointed to the map. "Two Reapers, one in front, one on our tail."

"Fire all weapons!"

"We are, Captain," Jenson affirmed.

Voices began to call out all around the bridge reporting damage to all parts of the Orizaba. For the first time, it occurred to Hannah that she might not get out of this alive, that she might be seeing Daniel again soon. _Don't you give in Hannah Shepard,_ she commanded herself. She issued orders in lightening speed, listening to Jenson, reading the tactical map, trying to get her ship to the relay a foot forward at a time.

"Our engines have taken a hit. We're losing power," Jenson finally reported.

Hannah's heart beat harshly. This was it. They wouldn't make it. She put an uncharacteristic hand out and touched Jenson's shoulder. "We're not going down without a fight."

"Captain," a voice sounded in her ear. "We've got them. You get out." It was Novikov. Hannah looked down at the tactical map. Her old ship, the Kilimanjaro, had intercepted both Reapers, along with several frigates and cruisers.

"Admiral," Hannah stammered, "I…"

"Go!" Novikov ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Hannah called out to Stewart. "Get us out of here!"

"What course?"

"Any! Go!"

The Orizaba shook as it made for the relay. The more they traveled, the more it trembled.

"We're not going to make it," another of her officers, Hill, whispered next to her.

"Engines almost depleted," Jenson reported.

"Push it!"

"Come on, baby!" Hannah heard Stewart, the helmsman, coaxing the Orizaba to make it through the relay. Hannah left the tactical map to stand next to him, heart pounding as the relay came into view.

"Captain," Jenson called out again. "Breaches in the hull! We're taking enemy fire again!"

Hannah held her breath. The relay loomed larger and larger. Only a few more seconds. They were a kilometer from the relay when Jenson called out for the last time, his voice in a complete panic. "We're losing air to space. Cracks all along the hull."

"Put on your helmets, now!" Hannah commanded. She walked over to her cubby, grabbing her helmet and snapping it on. She'd commanded the entire crew to be equipped in enviro suits for just this type of emergency. She walked back to the helm. They were almost to the relay. She felt the relay's energy reach out to them, pulling them into its grasp. There was a sudden scream. She turned to look behind. The bridge was breaking up. The Orizaba shuddered as it shot through the relay. It was thrown into another system, which one, Hannah didn't know. But she didn't have time to think about it as the ship disintegrated, the energy from the relay breaking the Orizaba to bits as it flew into the next system. She felt her body thrown forward as she careened into debris. She tried as best she could to cover her head and neck, pulling into a tight ball as her body propelled forward. Slowly, she stopped turning end over end and drifted weightless in the gravity-less waste. Her chest hurt, her arms ached and she felt like she was going to faint.

She tried to get her bearings, but there was too much debris to distinguish much. A steel beam came sailing her way. Hannah put out her feet, intending to push off the beam, but as it slammed into her, her knees buckled and she cried out inside her suit as she felt shooting pain all along the right side of her body. Tears streamed down her face. Dark dots danced before her eyes and she felt pinpricks of static run from head to toe. Right before she lost consciousness, she sensed a large shadow fall over her frame, dwarfing her with its immensity. Fear overwhelmed her pain as she recalled Jane's stories of humans turned into husks, stories that terrified her more than death itself.


	36. Rescue

Hannah groaned aloud as pain rippled along her right side. Her eyes were shut tight, as if they didn't want to open for fear of the horrors they might see. A sudden shiver caused goosebumps to rise on her arms. She felt uncomfortably cold and her back ached. She wanted to curl up into a ball, but as she tried to move, stinging spasms coursed through her body. She moaned and lay still.

"Captain?" she heard a stilted, timid voice. "Captain?"

Hannah felt she should open her eyes, answer the voice, that she knew it from somewhere, but she didn't think she was ready to deal with her surroundings.

"Captain? Can you hear me?"

Hannah sucked in a rattling breath, then worked to open her eyes. Slowly, light filtered in. She blinked rapidly, the brightness painful. She kept her eyes half-open, letting them become accustomed to sight again. After a while, she discovered that, in fact, the light around her wasn't bright at all, but dim. Where was she? The ceiling was constructed of dark gray metal. She hadn't expected a Reaper ship to look so…normal. Jane had described something entirely different.

"Captain Shepard?"

Hannah now felt a hand on her arm. That voice, she knew it…soft, quiet, French accent…Jillian Toureau.

"Toureau?" Hannah heard her own voice come out strained and hoarse and it felt like she hadn't used her face muscles in years.

A sigh of relief responded to her question. "Yes, ma'am. It's me."

Hannah tried to roll over onto her side, but gasped in agony.

"Don't move. You're really hurt."

A face appeared above Hannah. She recognized her communications officer, though she had a bandage over the left side of her face. The young woman didn't smile, just stared down at her, face contorted in worry.

"Where are we?" Hannah asked.

Toureau's eyebrows creased. "I'm not sure."

"Reaper ship?"

"No, I don't think so. There are humans running this ship."

"Indoctrinated?"

"Uh…"

Hannah recalled that most of the galaxy hadn't believed in the Reapers at all. "The Reapers can bend people to their will."

"Oh…I don't know if they are or not, then." There was a pause, then an almost inaudible whisper. "Your daughter was right all along."

Hannah almost laughed at the fact that _someone_ besides Steven and Anderson was admitting that to her. They knew Jane was right when it was too late. "Yes, she was." _But I always knew that._

"Where's the crew?" Hannah asked.

There was a gulp and a tear fell from Toureau's uncovered eye. She raised a hand and wiped it away. "I don't know. I think we may be the only survivors."

Hannah closed her eyes. She'd had over five hundred people on board the Orizaba. Had they really lost all but two? She wouldn't have believed it if she herself hadn't seen the power of the Reapers. She assumed the Alliance fleets had been utterly decimated. She pushed away thoughts of mourning. This wasn't the time.

"How badly am I hurt?"

"Your right arm and leg are broken. They set those. You screamed a lot then. They sedated you. They've tried to bring you out a couple times, but you screamed each time." Toureau's voice shook as she spoke.

_So that's why I hurt so much_. Whoever these people were had tried to heal her. They couldn't be indoctrinated then, could they?

"How long have we been here?"

"I don't know. A week, two?" Hannah heard the despair in Toureau's reply. All hope had been lost for the girl. But Hannah herself hadn't given in, not yet.

"We can get out, Lieutenant."

Hannah heard a sob. "There's no escape. They said that to me when they brought us here."

"Brought us from where?"

"There was another ship that picked us up first, then this one."

"Help me sit up."

"Captain, you can't."

"I'm ordering you, Lieutenant."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hannah felt a hand slide under her back, then she began to rise. She grit her teeth against the sharp pain that assaulted her right side, protesting at her action. Toureau gazed at her with compassionate green eyes. Hannah leaned her back against a wall. Now she could get a good look at the room they were in. Subdued lighting along the walls covered the room in a blue glow. It was small, tiny really, about the size of a walk-in closet. Except for a couple of pallets for sleeping, it was also empty. Hannah turned her focus from the room to herself, assessing her physical state. Her right arm and right leg were both incapacitated, braces around each. Her enviro suit had been replaced by a set of clothes, pants and shirt, too big for her frame. She tried to move again, but her limbs were excessively weak. She couldn't raise her left arm more than a couple inches. She considered Toureau next. The young woman's face was bruised and her feet bound together with some kind of restraint. Her eyes reflected deep depression.

Hannah forced her left hand out with all her will, ignoring the protest of her muscles and patted the girl's arm with her fingertips. "We'll get out."

Toureau just shook her head. Hannah grimaced. Did she really think they would get out of wherever they were? How could she make an escape with a broken arm and leg? She realized her pathetic attempt to encourage Toureau was a defensive mechanism to keep her own panic at bay.

"How hurt are _you_?" Hannah asked, concerned for the girl, but also wanting to avoid thoughts of despair.

Toureau brought her hand up to her bandage, gently rubbing it. "I haven't seen it. The doctor used the phrase 'mincemeat.' I've had a headache almost every day."

Hannah frowned. "Didn't you put your helmet on? How were you wounded?"

Toureau shrugged. "I don't remember much after the Orizaba fell apart. I just know I woke up on another ship and you were there, too."

Hannah noticed the girl's dark hair had been shaved short. She'd always thought Toureau a beautiful woman with her sparkling green eyes and raven black hair. "Why did they cut your hair?"

"To clean me up, bandage my head and face." The girl's left eye teared up. "I don't think I want to even be alive, not when they all died." She gasped and more tears came.

Hannah attempted to squeeze Toureau's arm, but the result was more a fumbled slide across her skin. "Don't go there, Lieutenant. It won't help you to think like that."

Toureau nodded, but sucked in her lips and covered her face with her hands. If they did get out of wherever they were alive, the girl would need a therapist for sure.

There was a sudden creak, the sound of footsteps outside the room. Toureau's head snapped to the door. "They're coming." She moved next to Hannah, huddling against her as if to hide. "They came in to wake you up and left. Said someone wanted to see us."

Hannah fixed her eyes on the door. Was this a time to escape? Her mind was sharp, but her body wasted. If she could only have stood up, raised her fists, ready to take down whoever came through the door. She'd never felt so powerless.

When the door slid open, a man stepped in, large, scruffy, with big bushy eyebrows. He scanned the prisoners at the end of the room, then nodded, satisfied. He turned his head, speaking to someone outside the door. "She's awake. Mind you, they're still in bad shape right now."

"I want to see them," a staccato voice spoke.

"Go ahead."

A salarian stepped through the door, his gaze critical as he ran them up and down with his eyes. He was dressed smartly in a blue suit with green glittering trim. He held a data pad in his hand. As he walked over to them, Hannah felt Toureau press into her in fear. Hannah forced her left arm around the girl's waist, hoping to comfort and reassure her. The salarian crouched down in front of them. Now that Hannah saw him up close, she felt he was slightly familiar, but she couldn't place him. All salarians looked pretty much the same to her. He reached out and took Toureau's chin in his hand, lifting it upwards to observe her face.

"How badly is this one injured?"

The big man laughed. "You won't want her around you when her face is uncovered, but she can do other things, can't she?"

"Hum…" the salarian intoned.

He moved his attention to Hannah, now taking her chin and turning her face back and forth. Hannah thought angrily that if she had the use of her limbs, he'd have found a fist in his eye. He glanced at her braces. "Broken arm and leg. How good is your medical?"

"Good," the large man barked out gruffly. "She'll heal okay."

The salarian stood and walked back to the man. "Your ad said Alliance. Are you sure?"

The big man folded his arms over his chest. "Of course."

The salarian glanced back at Hannah and Toureau, then turned to the man. "8,000 for both."

The man laughed loudly. "They're Alliance. Well trained."

"But broken," the salarian argued. "What if we take them and find them inadequate?"

"Even then, they've got their uses. You can sell them back to their families, make a profit."

"Perhaps," the salarian conceded. "But in these times, their families may not be available."

"16,000," the man said.

The salarian rubbed his chin. "You can't keep them long. You know the Alliance will find out, come after you, don't you?"

The man glowered at the salarian, but stood to his full height. "16,000 or nothing."

The salarian sighed. "Too rich for my boss." He made to leave, but the man suddenly grabbed his arm.

"12,000, then. Okay? It's as low as I can go, I swear."

The salarian turned back, a grin on his face. "12,000 is acceptable. My men will collect them."

"That's not the way it works," the man ground out. "_My_ men will bring them to your shuttle, _after_ the payment's gone through, got it?"

The salarian raised his hand, acquiescing. "Fine." He followed the man out of the room and the door slid shut.

Hannah let out a shaky breath. "Well, at least we know where we are now. We're on a slave ship." Toureau laid her head on Hannah's shoulder and silently cried.

* * *

Less than an hour later, the door opened again. Hannah had spent the time vainly envisioning ways of escape. The problem was every idea involved full use of her body. She didn't want to admit that she was utterly helpless, at the mercy of whoever had decided to buy Alliance captives from the slavers. Hannah had heard stories of what happened to slaves, lives of debasement and torture. Strangely, she wasn't afraid. She'd decided she'd rather end up a slave than a Reaper husk any day. At least as a slave, she'd have a chance to fight back, make a break for it when she healed and regained her strength.

Two men entered the room, unsavory, gruff types, both imposing in their size. One of them pulled Toureau to her feet, throwing her over his shoulder like nothing but a sack of potatoes. The other gripped Hannah's left arm and helped her to stand. He was more careful with her than his companion had been with Toureau, Hannah guessed because he didn't want to damage the merchandise further. Hannah clenched her teeth against the pain. The man picked her up into his arms like a child. They walked out the door and down the hall. It wasn't far to the hangar. When they entered, Hannah saw the large man who had bargained for their sale and the salarian standing next to a shuttle of rather impressive size.

"They're all yours," the man said.

The salarian nodded and peeked inside the shuttle. "Come get them, boys."

Two men emerged from the shuttle. Hannah stifled a gasp. One of them was a young man in armor with a tattoo on his neck, a red scythe. The young man took Toureau, paying no attention to Hannah. _Maybe he doesn't recognize me_, Hannah thought. The other man, a big, blonde, brawny man carried Hannah into the shuttle. When they got inside, they set their charges down next to each other on a leather seat. Hannah took Toureau's hand. The girl was trembling. She looked to Hannah who smiled encouragingly. The salarian had entered the shuttle and pushed a panel to close the door.

"Remove the girl's restraints, Thad," the salarian ordered.

The young man with the scythe tattoo moved over to Toureau, his omni-tool flipped on. The restraints on her feet opened immediately. He threw them to the side.

"You don't recognize me?" he asked, turning his eyes on Hannah.

Hannah swallowed. "I do."

The young man held out his hand. Hannah looked down at her right arm.

"Oh, yeah," the young man said, now laughing nervously. "Just wanted to shake the hand of Shepard's mom. Sorry, I forgot."

"Wait," Hannah said, her mind connecting the dots. She looked to the salarian. "Is this your personal shuttle?"

The salarian grinned. The engine had started and Hannah felt the shuttle lift and glide out of the hangar, taking to space. "Spent years collecting the credits for it."

The shuttle was luxurious, overly so. Hannah remembered seeing a photo two years ago in an apartment just as lavish, a photo of a grinning salarian surrounded by asari maidens. "Jeparn," she said.

"At your service," the salarian replied.

Hannah only knew one way to connect the young man, Thad, and Jeparn to each other. "Is Keta behind this?"

"Who else?" a new voice entered the conversation. The sound stirred a multitude of emotions inside Hannah, twisting her heart and gut at the same time.

"Commander!" Toureau called out, her voice registering total surprise.

Hannah just stared, not knowing if she should smile or frown or cry.

"Hey, Red," Lucas said, smiling grimly at her, standing with his hands on his hips. "Welcome back to the land of the living…as long as it lasts anyway."

* * *

Lucas instructed Thad to take Toureau to the medical lab on board Jeparn's ridiculously equipped shuttle and get Groom, the blonde haired man that had carried Hannah, to check her out. He'd explained Groom dabbled in medical practices on the side. Once they left, Lucas coughed and hinted to Jeparn that his pilot could use some company. Jeparn excused himself at once, nodding to Lucas as he left. Lucas stared at Hannah. She tried to read his thoughts—his emotions were obvious: chagrin, embarrassment, awkwardness. He finally walked over and sat down next to her, not looking at her.

"I need to start by apologizing," he said quietly. "You were right. You and Jane. The galaxy's in a mess cause of those things. I can't believe I was so stupid."

Hannah contemplated her former friend. On the one hand, he was the best thing she could have seen at the moment so glad was she he'd come to her rescue. On the other hand, her heart had gone awfully cold towards him over the last few months.

"Tell me what's happened," Hannah said, choosing to avoid personal conversation.

Lucas looked up, clearly hurt she'd brushed off his apology, but answered her question. "Communication has ceased for dozens of systems. Stations have been overrun. Arcturus is gone, the parliament killed. Hundreds of thousands dead."

Hannah had to work to catch her breath. How many people she had known had been murdered by the Reapers? "Where are the fleets?" she whispered.

Lucas shrugged. "Hiding somewhere. Maybe regrouping. Their location's a well-guarded secret at this point."

"My ship?"

Lucas bit his lip. "We went by the debris. Lots of bodies. I think you and Jillian are the only ones who made it out alive." Lucas rubbed his goatee. "If I'd been there…"

Hannah snorted derisively. "You wouldn't have made a difference. It was like shooting fish in a barrel for the Reapers. We were nothing but an annoying distraction."

Lucas breathed out slowly. "They went right for Earth. Troops are fighting on the ground there, but losing hope by the hour."

Hannah sat up straighter, groaning at the movement. Lucas reached out a hand to her and she pushed it away. "Jane…"

"We've heard rumors," Lucas said, drawing his hand away from her, saying nothing about her rejection of his attempt to aid her. "She made it out. From what I gather, she's trying to get any help she can for Earth."

Hannah leaned back, closing her eyes. She couldn't deal with the information, all the horror at once. At least she could take comfort that Jane was okay for now.

"Hannah," Lucas said seriously, "I really am sorry. I was an idiot, more than an idiot, a regular old jack-ass. I treated our friendship like nothing. I know you probably hate me, but give me a chance. I need you to forgive me."

"You didn't e-mail me," Hannah said, an indictment on his insistence he was truly sorry.

"Yeah, well…I've been busy…Well, not exactly. I didn't know what to say, how to say it. I'm a coward, I really am. I just couldn't get anything into words until I saw you."

Hannah opened her eyes to behold Lucas' pleading face. She couldn't forgive him, not yet. "I'm not ready to give you a pass. I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

Lucas sighed, but nodded. "Alright, I understand. I'll show you, though, that I mean it, that you can trust me."

Hannah stared unflinchingly at him. Only time would tell if she could, indeed, place her trust in Lucas' hands again.

"In the meantime," Lucas went on, "We need to get you seen by our doctor."

"Groom?"

"He's just a fill-in right now. Our trained doc is back on the Menari. You'll like her." His eyes twinkled and Hannah wondered why.

"Menari?"

"Keta's ship."

"She has a ship?"

Lucas grinned. "You'll be impressed. It's not a dreadnought, but larger than you'd think."

"I thought she wanted to get a tan on a beach for her retirement."

Lucas laughed. "I don't think Keta could ever sit still for long. She always has to be doing something. She used almost all her funds to get that ship."

"How can she pay for slaves then?"

"Uh…she's kind of shaken down some people that owe her."

Hannah shook her head. That sounded like Keta. Not that she wasn't grateful the batarian had done what she had to to rescue her. "Is Jeparn one of those?"

Lucas shook his head. "Jeparn joined when Omega went down."

"Omega?"

"You remember the Cerberus attack on the station?"

"Barely." She'd had other concerns on her mind then.

"Well, Jeparn got out then, met up with Keta at some point and she convinced him to join her."

"So what are you?" Hannah asked. "Pirates?" She gave Lucas a disapproving look.

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "Not really. More like merchants…with a willingness to do a few illegal things now and then."

Hannah shook her head again.

"Look, you don't get it," Lucas explained. "It's hell out there now, every man for himself. Keta's got connections, she's gathered people to her that matter, that have the resources that might get us through this mess."

Hannah sighed. What did she expect to happen when the galaxy fell into the chaos of total destruction? Of course, everyone would be focused on basic survival. Some would even take advantage of the turmoil to line their own pockets, like the slavers she'd just escaped. The Reapers were apparently destroying the galaxy, but did they care? No, they saw the attacks as an opportunity to make some easy money. War brought out the best and the worst in the hearts of sentient beings.

Lucas stood up. "I don't want to argue with you. Please, though, when we get to the Menari, just suck it up and thank Keta, okay? The minute she saw your face on an advertisement for slaves, she jumped at it, gathering all the credits she could, so the least you can do is appreciate it." Lucas turned and stomped back towards the cockpit before Hannah could respond.

Hannah twisted her lips. Here she'd been grumpily and begrudgingly conversing with Lucas when she should have been thanking him. But for some reason, saying the words "thank you" to Lucas didn't feel right.

* * *

After a while, Thad brought Toureau back to sit with Hannah. The girl was slightly happier, relieved they were in the hands of friends. She still complained of a headache, but Groom had given her some medicine to relieve it. She sat close to Hannah and spoke little. Hannah tried to talk with her about her family, but only managed to learn that her father had lived on Arcturus, her mother on Earth. Of course, she had no idea if they were alive. Hannah wondered how many families had been destroyed already by the Reapers. Maybe millions.

Thad declared he had no family, an advantage in his opinion, adding his own two bits to the conversation. He did worry about friends back on Earth, though. He'd grown up in a gang there, the Scythes, thus his tattoo. He'd left when he was seventeen, wanting to see the galaxy, making his way from station to station by working odd jobs here and there. That's how he'd connected with Keta when she hired him for a job—breaking Lucas out of Alliance custody. He seemed to admire Keta tremendously.

"What about Kirk?" Hannah wondered aloud.

Thad let out a short, dismissive breath. "Him. He's out there with his krogan crew somewhere. Boss thought he was too hot to handle. Made him leave after we rescued Lucas."

Lucas came back not long after their conversation, letting them know they'd be at the Menari in a few minutes. Hannah felt the bumpy change as the shuttle landed in a hangar bay. Keta's ship had to be large if it had a bay. When the door opened, Thad aided Toureau off the shuttle. Lucas frowned down at Hannah. "Whether you like it or not, I'm carrying you out of here."

Hannah nodded once, trying to be polite at the least. When Lucas picked her up, his face grew concerned. "What?" Hannah asked.

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"You need to eat. You must be skin and bones."

Hannah hadn't considered what weeks without food had done to her. Now she looked down at her arm and noticed how thin she was. Lucas carried her off the shuttle, then down a few halls, passing various aliens and a few humans in the process. They finally entered what was obviously a medical lab, too sterile and clean to be anything else.

"Doc," Lucas called out to a woman at the far end of the room. "I have someone you need to look at."

The woman turned. She had kind dark eyes and beautiful brown skin. She smiled and then saluted.

Hannah's eyes went wide. "Riley?"

"The salute felt right."

"How…"

"Lucas called me up. Asked me to join."

"The Alliance…"

"I left a long time ago. I couldn't take the red tape anymore."

Hannah looked up at Lucas. "You could have said something."

"And ruin the surprise?" he smiled mischievously. Hannah couldn't help but chuckle, just a little.

Lucas set Hannah down on a bed. Hannah looked from Riley to Lucas. "Is Brody going to show up?"

Riley shook her head, her eyes registering sorrow. "He died during the First Contact War."

"Oh." Hannah sadly remembered the young man, all eager for her to win the marksman rifle match with Daniel.

Riley checked over the braces on Hannah's right arm and leg. "These look secure. I need to scan you. See how you're healing." She pulled a small device out of her pocket and ran it over Hannah's right side.

"I didn't know you wanted to be a doctor."

Riley smiled. "Change of scenery. I got tired of shooting things, thought I'd try my hand at healing for a while." Her eyebrows knit together. "Did they give you any pain meds?"

Hannah shook her head. "I don't think so. It hurts still."

Riley began muttering angrily under her breath. She traipsed over to a cabinet, then came back with a shot. "I can't believe you've endured it. You've got multiple breaks and there's inflammation all around the wounds. You've atrophied quite a bit, too. And the braces are old school. I want to replace them. I'm going to put you under for a little while."

"Hang on a moment, Riley," Hannah heard a commanding voice, a batarian's she knew quite well.

Lucas turned. Hannah couldn't see Keta as Lucas blocked her view. He reached out a hand and pulled the batarian close to him, next to the bed. Hannah finally beheld Keta, her face little changed, same intense four eyed gaze, same scar. What had changed was her abdomen, now bulging outward in a tight round ball.

"Keta, you're pregnant?"

Lucas beamed. "Four months to go. Now you know why she wants to evade the Reapers. She's got some motivation."

Keta punched Lucas in the arm. "So do you." She looked to Hannah, a relieved smile on her face. "Welcome to your new home."


	37. Menari

Hannah stretched her eyelids and gradually lifted them. A fuzzy haze met her as she gazed upward. She felt groggy and exhausted. She took a breath which caused an immediate fit of coughing. A hand behind her back brought her to a sitting position and the ridge of a glass was placed against her lips. She drank the water offered her gratefully. She looked to her helper and beheld Keta smiling down at her. The batarian reached over and propped up a couple pillows. "You can sit back now."

Hannah leaned backwards. She didn't hurt anymore. Observing her arm and leg, she noted new, updated braces in place of the ones the slavers had used.

"You need to eat. I had our cook make you a sandwich."

Hannah took the plate Keta held out to her. The sandwich had some kind of spread on it and there was an apple on the side. "I'm not even hungry," Hannah stated.

"From your physical state, I'm guessing you haven't eaten proper food in a while. I'm not surprised. The body begins to eat itself after a time and you stop being hungry at all." Keta pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. Hannah remembered that Keta could go weeks without food and was probably well acquainted with the effects of fasting. "Take it slow," she warned.

Hannah picked up the sandwich and took a tentative bite. She chewed carefully. The bread was tasty, the paste bland, but it didn't matter. The moment she swallowed, she found she wanted more. She began to take multiple bites at once.

"Slow down," Keta commanded.

Hannah did as she said, but it was hard. She paused to take another sip of water. As she did so, her eyes met Keta's. She could tell her friend was also tired. She smiled gently. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

Keta waved a hand as if it were nothing. "You're welcome."

"Lucas said you had to call in some debts."

Keta nodded. "Luckily, no one had to die for your release."

Hannah paused in the middle of another bite of the sandwich.

"I was joking," Keta clarified.

"Oh." Hannah felt chagrined inside. Ashamedly, she hadn't put it past Keta to kill people for quick money.

Keta grinned. "My humor is still not human, I think. I've gotten better at reading Lucas', but not perfect yet." When she mentioned Lucas, her hand went to her belly and she caressed it lovingly.

"So…" Hannah intoned, munching on part of the apple, "I guess you and Lucas get along okay now."

Keta grinned again. "You could say that. Honestly, I never thought I'd go for a human, but Lucas is…unique."

Hannah chewed slowly. He certainly was unique…and rash and arrogant and annoying.

Keta raised her eyebrows. "You don't like him, do you?"

Hannah sighed, knowing her face must have projected her inner feelings regarding her former XO. She took another gulp of water before answering carefully. "I don't know how I feel about him."

"He's been guilty all these months," Keta said, arms folding across her chest. "Then when the Reapers came, he felt even worse."

"Yes, well…" Hannah said, "He almost killed Jane. You don't get over something like that in a day."

"You've had months."

Hannah glared at Keta. "Whatever. It's not easy."

"I understand," Keta said, "He deserves your anger. I just wanted you to know he's truly sorry."

Hannah took another bite of the sandwich. "You know gender?" she asked, changing the subject.

Keta touched her belly again, a happy smile directed its way. "Female…Never thought I'd have a child."

"Must be hard being pregnant at our age," Hannah assumed, thinking back to her own pregnancy so many years ago.

"Bartarians are fertile for longer than human women," Keta explained. "It's not uncommon for a batarian my age to have a child."

"As I recall," Hannah said, recollecting the first time she met Keta, "You didn't want to be a baby factory."

Keta nodded. "True. At the time, though, I didn't have anyone I wanted to make a child with. I certainly wasn't going to have a child with Balak."

"And I assume, not Jeparn either," Hannah said, remembering she'd had a relationship with the Salarian in the past.

Keta laughed. "He was a means to an end, nothing more. I'm glad he joined us here, though. He's useful to us."

"I thought you said you'd kill him the next time you saw him."

"I think I might have if he hadn't already looked so beaten down when I found him after he fled Omega. He was in a sorry state. I gave him something to do, a place to ply his trade."

"What exactly _are_ you doing on this ship?" Hannah inquired as she finished the apple.

"Trying to outlast the invasion. I told you I thought your daughter was right."

Hannah nodded.

"I started contacting people months ago, bought this ship, found those I thought could make it through this holocaust." Keta paused and blew a breath out her nose. "Did Lucas tell you batarian space is now Reaper space?"

Hannah shook her head.

"My home world is essentially gone. I haven't heard from my family in weeks. This is all I have left." Hannah read in Keta's eyes determination, anger and fear all rolled into one. "If it weren't for this one," Keta pointed to her belly, "I might fight. Right now, I'm just trying to live for her."

Hannah eyed the batarian seriously. "What do you want me to do here?"

"Heal," Keta instructed, standing up, her hand under her belly. "I have ideas for you, but right now, you need to rest and get better. And this is _my_ ship, so that's an order." Keta's eyes danced mischievously.

Hannah chuckled. "Alright…Captain?"

Keta put a hand thoughtfully to her chin. "Hum…that sounds nice. They call me 'boss' though."

"Alright, boss," Hannah said, saluting.

Keta laughed loudly and exited the room.

* * *

Weeks passed by as Hannah's arm and leg slowly mended. Keta came by to see her daily, sometimes wheeling her to parts of the ship, showing off her "baby" as she called it. It was miniscule compared to a dreadnought, but still impressive. It had a lower and upper level. The lower level contained housing for the crew, the engine room, the med bay, the hangar and a storage area. The upper level comprised the bridge, a small common room, Keta's and Lucas' quarters, and the mess. Hannah marveled that Keta had raised enough funds to buy the ship. When she'd inquired, Keta had tactfully turned the conversation elsewhere, clearly not willing to go into details about how she had managed to obtain the Menari. There were about forty crew members on board, drawn from different races and walks of life. Most had a checkered past and some connection with Keta's personal history. There were several rough looking asari, a group of krogans, Jeparn plus five other salarians, Thad and his rowdy peers, two vorcha, and, not surprisingly, quite a number of batarians. Keta noted the trouble she had between them at times, but gradually, they'd learned to work together, especially after the Reaper attacks. Nothing bonded them together quicker than the threat of annihilation. Hannah wondered once why Keta hadn't taken in any turians. Apparently, all Keta's run-ins with turians had taken a turn for the worse as she'd always been on the wrong end, facing a cop and having to explain her way out of trouble.

Besides Keta, Hannah had other consistent visitors. Toureau hadn't forgotten her captain and came by regularly, checking on the progress of her healing. She also was doing much better. Lucas had put her to work on the bridge monitoring communications. Toureau sang Lucas' praises and Hannah remembered how much the crew had warmed to him. She also noted Lucas' wisdom in giving Toureau something to do so she wouldn't dwell on her situation. It was those mindful actions Hannah had missed in her XO; that, and Lucas' friendship, something she still couldn't bring herself to reclaim. Toureau still suffered from headaches now and then, but said she thought they were getting better day by day.

Of course, Hannah spent most of her time with Abana Riley. Riley had changed altogether from the young woman she had known on the Avian. Then, Riley had been the champion of strict adherence to regulation and a warrior in her own right. Now, she was softer, more compassionate, and Hannah thought, sad. Over time, she'd wiggled out of Riley the reason for her sorrow: she'd begun a relationship with Brody right before he was killed on Shanxi. Hannah intuited that must have been the time Riley began to re-evaluate her allegiance to the Alliance. She pulled out for a time to think and figure out what she really wanted to do. She'd pursued a career as a doctor, desiring to try her hand at healing rather than killing. She declared the First Contact War a sad misunderstanding that could have been avoided with cooler heads and a lack of itchy trigger fingers.

The person that came by the least was Lucas. Every time he stepped foot in her room, Hannah cringed. Talking to him made her awkward and uncomfortable. She never knew what to say or how to say it. Usually their conversations were quick and overly polite as he asked about her healing and she gave him a short update. He then left and she lay back on her bed, able to relax again. She _was_ grateful that one time he'd stopped by he'd given her a data pad so she could keep up with what was going on in the wider world.

Hannah found herself glued to the data pad. Articles were sketchy. The more communication from systems went down, the less true the news became. Rumor replaced fact. A sense of dread began to overtake Hannah more and more as the weeks went by. One by one, all races were falling to the Reapers. The Reapers had attacked the two races with the largest militaries first: humanity and the turians. They moved through systems with ease, taking first 10% of the galaxy, then 20%, then 30%, and now 60%. When would it end? Who would stop them?

Hannah was overjoyed when she found a show on ANN called "Battlespace." The reporter, Diana Allers, it turned out was imbedded on Jane's ship. Through the show's site, she was able to see Jane again in several recorded interviews. Her daughter displayed a driven attitude, staunch and resolute in her determination to conquer the Reapers. Yet Hannah clearly perceived the results of stress. She could read Jane's eyes better than anyone. Her daughter was under enormous pressure, the galaxy now turning to her for guidance, thrusting upon her the hope of its salvation. Everyone's tune had changed once the Reapers had shown up, proving that Jane had been right all along. Only a few batarians cared now that the Bahak system had been destroyed; the rest of the galaxy was just thankful for the delay and distraught at their lack of preparation. The Council was taking hits all across the extranet for its lack of faith in Jane. Hannah might have felt vindicated and victorious if whole worlds weren't being destroyed. She couldn't find joy in Jane being right as sentient beings perished by the millions.

Through "Battlespace" she learned that the Rachni were, incredibly, on the galaxy's side now, that the turians and krogans were working together since the genophage had been cured, that the Citadel had been attacked by Cerberus and the Council almost assassinated. Udina had been killed and was blamed for Cerberus' presence on the station. Hannah thought that rumor most likely correct. The geth and the quarians had just recently made peace. And most awesome of all, Jane had defeated a Reaper all on her own. In fact, Jane was present in all these developments. Little by little, her daughter seemed to be uniting the entire galaxy, breaking down barriers that had stood for hundreds of years. Hannah's heart swelled with pride as she read about Jane's accomplishments. Daniel's dream all those years ago of a united galaxy might just come to fruition through Jane's efforts—if only they could last long enough to enjoy the outcome of their unity.

Hannah tried to get in contact with Jane through Diana Allers who announced her e-mail address every show. She sent several e-mails using Keta's address, but they kept bouncing back. She had no idea why. In the chaos, it didn't surprise her that communication failed where it usually succeeded.

* * *

Three weeks after Hannah boarded the Menari, Riley entered her room, smiled and leaned against the doorframe. "It's time you started walking again," she declared.

Hannah sat up straight in her bed. "I'm ready." She'd been waiting for this for weeks. She hated lazing around when the galaxy was being destroyed all around her. She wanted to be part of the fight. Her resolve faltered, however, when Lucas come through the door.

"I asked Lucas to come help out," Riley commented.

Hannah narrowed her eyes at her old crewmate. Riley had sensed early on that something had gone wrong between Hannah and Lucas. She'd suggested they talk through the problem, come to some solution. Hannah had politely refused. She knew Riley asking Lucas to "help out" was her way of forcing the issue.

Riley turned from Hannah's scowl to give Lucas instructions. "Nothing too fast. Take it easy. Get her to walk down the hall and back after I take off the braces."

"Got it," Lucas said, flicking his eyes uncomfortably and momentarily to Hannah.

Hannah focused on Riley, ignoring Lucas while the braces were removed. She hadn't hurt in a long time, but she still found herself afraid to put pressure on her right side, worried she'd collapse the moment she tried to make use of her newly healed limbs. Riley stepped back from the bed and let Lucas take her place. He put his arm around Hannah's waist and she worked to banish her desire to push him away. She slowly stood up from the bed, placing weight gingerly on her right leg.

"Your bones are fully healed," Riley assured her. "You can try to walk normally."

"Then why is _he_ here?" Hannah questioned, her tone annoyed.

Lucas pretended not to hear her question, his face turned away from her. Riley opened her eyes wide like a mother daring her child to defy a command. "Because it will take time for your muscles to relearn how to use themselves. I'll see you two when you get back." Hannah hated that Riley exited the room swiftly, leaving her at Lucas' mercy.

"Well, let's get to it then," Hannah said, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible. Lucas offered her his arm and she linked her left arm around his right, leaning on him as she walked. Her right leg almost buckled, weak as it was from disuse. Lucas tightened his grip, keeping her on her feet. As she paced down the hall, Hannah also rotated her right arm, wanting to give it the same kind of exercise as her leg. It felt like it took forever to get to the end of the hall. When they made it and turned to walk back to the med bay, Lucas broke the uneasy silence.

"So…how's it feel?"

"Good," Hannah replied shortly.

"Soon you'll be a regular crew member," Lucas encouraged.

Hannah said nothing in reply, just kept moving back down the hall, refusing to look his direction. They had just reached the middle when Lucas let go. Hannah lurched awkwardly and stumbled sideways into the wall, bracing herself against it with both her arms. "What the…"

"When are you going to forgive me?"

Hannah turned, leaning with her back against the wall. "You think pushing me into a wall is going to make me forgive you faster?"

"I didn't push you. I let you walk on your own."

Hannah snorted.

"Well?" Lucas asked, hands defiantly on his hips. "How long's it gonna take?"

"I told you I didn't know if I could _ever_ forgive you."

"Yeah, but I thought after all these weeks…"

"You thought wrong."

Lucas stepped back to the other side of the hall as a crew member passed, one of the asari who gazed at them curiously but kept on moving. "Go back to medical on your own then. You obviously can't stand to be near me."

Hannah looked down the hall. She knew Lucas was daring her to get there on her own power. She turned her head back to him with an obstinate air, accepting his challenge. She pushed out from the wall and began to limp her way down the hall, but she didn't get far. She suddenly tripped, her muscles giving out, crashing to the floor. She rolled over as she fell, afraid to catch herself on her right arm.

"Hannah!" Lucas was at her side in a moment. He helped her sit up, but she pushed him away.

"What are you trying to prove?" Hannah snapped at him.

"I thought…You've always been so…strong. I didn't think you'd fall."

Hannah laughed contemptuously. "You know what your problem is Lucas? You always assume you know better than everyone else. You're cocky and arrogant and your way is always the right way."

"You're wrong!" Lucas shot back. "How many times did I follow your orders without asking why? I've spent most of my life doing what you wanted me to."

"Oh yeah? You completely ignored my warnings about the Reapers and decided to kill my daughter!"

"Yeah, about that, it's like the _one_ time I failed you…" Hannah opened her mouth to shout back, but Lucas' voice became louder as he continued. "And I _know_ it was a big failure, colossal. If I'd been successful, I don't know, I think I would have ended up killing myself when I realized what I'd done. The point is, I failed, I messed up…again. You think I don't know what a waste of life I am? That the world would be better without me? I _know _you should hate me, but I'd come to think of you better than that. I just wish after all the things I've done for you, that you could let the one thing I did so wrong go. Sometimes I just want to ask you to beat the crap out of me, that maybe that would get your anger towards me out of your system."

Hannah stared at Lucas, flummoxed. His speech had overflowed with emotion—sorrow, regret and guilt. She thought back to Jane pushing her pistol barrel down, not letting her kill Lucas when she had the chance. Would killing him have made it all better? She had to regrettably admit that the answer was "no." Jane had said then that killing someone never healed anything, but meant you never got to make it right. This was her opportunity to make it right. So why couldn't she?

"Get me up," she commanded authoritatively.

Lucas sighed in frustration and did as she asked, pulling her to her feet. They walked slowly back to the med bay. Lucas helped Hannah sit back on the bed. As he made for the door, Hannah stopped him with an admission.

"I almost killed you."

Lucas turned around, his eyes registering confusion. "Huh?"

"When you escaped from headquarters, I followed Thad and Krik. I saw the shuttle."

Lucas' breath halted in his throat as he whispered out, "And…"

"And I knew I could take out the escaping prisoner—you."

Lucas spoke quietly. "Why didn't you?"

"Jane stopped me."

Lucas bit his lip. "_Jane_ stopped you?"

"Yeah," Hannah said uncomfortably.

"So, we're even then," Lucas said, putting his hands on his hips again.

"What do you mean?"

"I tried to kill Jane and failed. You tried to kill me and failed. We've both got the same faults on our side. Maybe we should call it a draw."

"Maybe," Hannah said, not sure if it really was a wash.

"See you tomorrow," Lucas said and left the room, leaving Hannah to contemplate the words that had passed between them.

* * *

Another week crawled by. Hannah got stronger by the day. Lucas was always there right on schedule, her partner in her physical therapy. They hadn't brought up their sins again since the first time he'd helped her walk. Their friendship hadn't been restored by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it they had let bygones be bygones for the time being. Hannah still hadn't forgiven Lucas, but she figured she needed him right now and keeping her mouth shut and her pride to herself was the most advantageous course of action.

Finally, when Hannah felt she had regained her former strength, she asked Lucas to take her to Keta. She needed to talk to both of them in priavte. She walked aided only by a cane Riley had given her to keep her steady. Lucas stayed in step next to her, directing her to his and Keta's quarters. When she entered, Keta was laying on the bed on her side, now six months pregnant and struggling with the uncomfortable size of her abdomen. She'd always been petite and her large belly overwhelmed her easily. She sat up on the bed when Hannah appeared.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I need to talk to you and Lucas."

Lucas pointed to an easy chair. Hannah walked over and sat, breathing a little heavily after her trip up to the bridge. Lucas sat on the bed next to Keta, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"So, what is it?" Keta asked.

"I'm better now. You said you had an idea of how you wanted to use me."

"Yes," Keta said. She paused for a moment, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, concern crossing his face.

Keta nodded and smiled. "She just kicked again. She's getting a bit too active, pummeling me most of the night and day. We're going to have a hard time keeping up with her."

Lucas grinned and kissed Keta on the forehead. "In other words, she's going to be just like her mother."

Keta smiled from ear to ear. Hannah marveled inside. Who would have ever thought Lucas and Keta would end up together and about to be parents? What a wild galaxy they lived in.

Keta turned her attention back to Hannah. "You know about stealth, avoidance techniques and Reaper warfare. You can help us stay hidden and teach us how to escape Reapers if they find us."

Hannah took a breath. She knew Lucas and Keta wouldn't want to hear what she said next. "I can't do as you ask."

"What?" Lucas blurted out. "Why?"

"It's not that I don't want to help you, but I need to get back to the fleets. I want to find them. I want to fight the Reapers, not hide away from them."

"Red," Lucas said, agitated, "They're taking systems by the hour. No one's gonna make it through this facing them head on."

"You don't understand," Keta insisted, her hand protectively covering her belly. "There _is_ no fighting them, only avoiding them."

"I _do_ understand," Hannah asserted. "In the few weeks I've been here, 65% of the galaxy has fallen to the Reapers. We're losing. We're _all_ going to lose. They aren't going to stop till they've killed everyone out there. The only chance we're going to have is fighting back."

"We've got enough food and resources to last us a year," Lucas argued. "We can outlast them."

"What is there to outlast?" Hannah asked. "If they take every system, there's nowhere left to go. What do you do when your year is up?"

"We find a planet undisturbed, take the resources and get out quickly," Lucas said.

"There won't be a planet left with resources to take. Look, I've read what Jane's up to. She's been uniting races all across the galaxy. My guess is they're pooling their navies and armies, getting ready for the largest battle of our time. The only way to be safe from the Reapers is to take them down and with all of us together, maybe we can just do it."

"But…" Lucas started to protest, then was interrupted.

"Get her back to the fleets," Keta ordered.

"Keta…" Lucas said, turning to her.

"If she wants to fight, let her. If she's right, this may be the only chance our daughter has to live." Keta reached out and took Lucas' hand, placing it on her belly. Lucas swallowed hard, then turned to Hannah.

"Okay. We'll try and find out where they are and get you back."

"Thank you."

"But I hope you understand what a risk this is. I'm still a criminal to the Alliance."

Hannah smiled grimly. "Something tells me, Lucas, they've got enough to worry about right now. I'm sure thoughts of you haven't entered their minds for weeks."


	38. Crucible

Half a week had gone by since Hannah insisted Keta get her back to the Alliance fleets. All avenues of inquiry had failed to discover where the fleets were stationed, leading Hannah to believe something big was in the works. Hannah finally decided her best bet was to head for the Citadel. Even though it had been attacked by Cerberus, it was still the hub of information for the entire galaxy.

Now, as Hannah stood outside the docking bay, she was saddened by the Citadel's changes. There was rubble everywhere and refugees by the hundreds. They were from multiple races and easy to pick out with their hollow eyes, confused and bewildered, not knowing where to go or what to do. Many of them had lost not only their homes, but their families and friends.

Hannah peered at Toureau out of the corner of her eye. She'd continued to keep her face covered with bandages, even though she'd been declared healthy by Riley. Of course, Hannah knew it wasn't the illusion of pain that kept the bandages on; it was Toureau's fear of how others' would react to her features. So far the young woman had only allowed medical personnel to see what lay underneath her covering. She'd also been sensitive about her hair as it was growing at a slow pace, now looking like she'd spiked it with hairspray. Despite her desire not to be seen by others, she had asked to accompany Hannah onto the station, hoping to learn the fate of her parents.

Toureau stared at the refugees, clearly distressed. "I'm just like them," she murmured. "Homeless. No family left."

Hannah tried to smile encouragingly. "How about we find the ambassador and ask to see casualty lists? Don't assume yet."

Toureau nodded, but her grim face didn't change its expression. They walked on, passing through the docking area and then security. Hannah headed to the ambassador's office. When she got there, the door was locked. She pushed the panel several times, but to no avail.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked.

Hannah turned to see a nice looking dark haired man in a gray suit. He had a gentle tone and Hannah felt she could trust him. "I need to see the ambassador."

The man sighed. "No one's replaced Udina yet. The Alliance has pretty much abandoned the humans on the Citadel. I keep trying to get help for our refugees, but no one seems to care."

Hannah found herself replying harshly, defensive of the navy she'd devoted her life to. "They're kind of busy at the moment, wouldn't you say?"

The man held up both his hands to show he meant no ill will. "I understand, but it makes helping anyone here all the harder. I do what I can."

"And you are…"

The man held out a hand to Hannah and she shook it. "Ambassador Osoba."

"Maybe _you_ can help me."

"What do you need?"

Hannah looked around. "Maybe we should talk in private."

"Ma'am?"

Hannah turned to Toureau. "Yes?"

"I don't think I'm going to find casualty lists here," she said, her eyes downcast.

"Casualty lists?" Osoba echoed. "They have a wall down in the refugee docks for people to post about those who've perished. That'd be your best bet."

"May I…"

Hannah nodded. "Of course. I'll come find you when I'm done here."

"Yes, ma'am." Toureau dragged her feet back towards the elevator, in no hurry to face the possibility of unwelcome news.

Osoba gestured down the hall and Hannah followed as he rounded a corner. He sat down on a couple leather seats. Hannah joined him.

"So, you look a little familiar. Have we met before?" Osoba asked.

"No," Hannah said.

"Well, who are you and what can I do for you?"

"I'm Captain Hannah Shepard. My ship was destroyed at Arcturus and I'm trying to find the fleets."

"Shepard?" Osoba asked, putting his hand to his head in amazement. "You're related to _the_ Shepard?"

Hannah smiled slightly. "I'm _the_ Shepard's mother."

"Well, I'll be…That's why you look familiar to me. I met your daughter."

"When?" Hannah asked, sitting up straighter, Osoba having gained her rapt attention.

"A few weeks back. She found my son's dog tags and brought them to me. He…passed on."

"Oh," Hannah said, observing the pain that appeared in the ambassador's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Osoba said, brushing a quick hand over misty eyes. "I owe your daughter one. Maybe I can pay up by helping you out. You want to find the fleets?"

Hannah nodded.

"I don't know where they are, but I can get you in contact with someone who does. Follow me."

Osoba stood and Hannah walked behind him. He passed through some double doors, then down a hall and finally entered a tiny office. He strode over to his desk, sat down and tapped a few keys. He looked up at Hannah apologetically. "Ever since the Cerberus attack, communication's been slow. Just give me a few minutes."

Hannah nodded and paced back and forth, trying to wait patiently. After several minutes, she heard a voice she knew well. "Hackett here."

"Admiral, it's Ambassador Osoba on the Citadel."

"Ambassador."

"I know we're not supposed to use the secure channel except in emergencies, but I thought you wouldn't mind me contacting you."

"This better be worth it."

"I think so. Here, I have someone who wants to talk to you."

Osoba stood up and gestured to his chair. Hannah sat down and smiled grimly at Steven Hackett's familiar face staring back at her from the screen. "Hello, Steven."

"Hannah!" Steven exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. "When the Orizaba didn't show up, we assumed you got left behind, been captured or destroyed."

"Did you tell Jane…"

"No, no. I waited. I didn't want to tell her you were MIA. She's got too much on her plate right now."

"Thank goodness."

"I'll be. Hannah Shepard, you're as tough as nails. I can't believe you made it out alive. What about your crew? Your ship?"

Hannah swallowed hard. "As far as I know, Commander Toureau and I are the only survivors."

Steven's brow creased. "I'm sorry. Sorry you had to lose them like that."

"From what I gather, everyone is losing someone these days."

"That's true," Steven said, his voice now deep and sad. "Most of the galaxy's in chaos. No one really knows who's alive and who's dead. We're clinging to hope and it's all riding on your daughter."

"Where _is_ Jane?" Steven gave her a knowing look and Hannah sighed. "Secret mission."

Steven nodded.

"If you talk to her again, tell her I'm okay and I'm more proud of her then ever."

"Will do."

"Steven, I want to get back to the fleets. I want to personally destroy every Reaper out there till there's none left."

Steven smiled slowly. "That sounds like the Hannah Shepard I've known the last two years." Steven looked down and Hannah heard the sound of tapping. "I'm sending coordinates. These are confidential. If these got out, we'd lose the only hope we have to win this war."

"I understand."

"Save them, follow them and get here as fast as you can. We could have used you yesterday."

"I'll be there ASAP."

Steven suddenly saluted her, a gesture she always gave him first. "Glad to have you back, Captain."

Hannah returned the salute. "Glad to be back, sir."

"Hackett out."

The screen went blank. Osoba walked back to his desk. "Let me link to your omni-tool." Hannah flicked on the omni-tool Keta had loaned her. Osoba transferred the file with the coordinates over to her omni-tool. "Got them?" Hannah nodded and Osoba erased the file from his own computer.

"Thank you," Hannah said, standing up from his chair.

"No problem. It was my pleasure to help Commander Shepard's mother."

Hannah shook hands again with the ambassador, then left the room, determined to find Toureau and get back to the Menari as fast as possible.

* * *

Hannah stepped out of the elevator into the refugee docks. The area was crowded with beings from multiple races, some in lines making inquiries, most sitting around doing nothing but chit chatting quietly. She saw a group gathered around a wall with hundreds of notes pinned to it, as well as pictures. She strolled over, thinking she'd find Toureau here. She didn't see the young woman, but she also didn't move on quickly. She found herself captivated by the wall, staring at the photos of all the races that dotted it. She scanned the notes as well. Most of them she couldn't read as they were in alien tongues, but many of them were human in origin and afforded her a glimpse into the mourning of the galaxy. There were poems, prayers, letters of regret and pleas for forgiveness. The more Hannah read, the angrier she got. Who were these Reapers? Did they have any shred of decency within them at all? Or were they mindless drones with only a will to kill?

Hannah turned on her heel, stalking through the docks, looking for Toureau, not willing to waste any more time on the Citadel. The area was a maze of crates, waiting areas and make-shift hovels. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Hannah assumed Toureau must have gone back to the embassies to find her. She was about to turn and give up, but peeked down one more "hallway," really a lane created by two crate walls. She spied Toureau standing with her back to her at the end of the hall.

"Toureau!" she called out. The girl didn't turn. Hannah walked towards her, slowing her gait when she realized the girl was talking. However, there was no one with her. Maybe she was praying? Hannah didn't want to disturb her, but they needed to get off the station as soon as they could. Hannah paused to listen for a moment. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. The girl wasn't praying, but what was she doing?

"I don't want to do it," Hannah heard Toureau's soft voice. The young woman paused and tilted her head as if listening to someone answer her, then she spoke again. "No, I can't. But it's the only choice I have left…Yes, it can save us. I know it can…Don't tell me that!...Give me time, I can find a way."

Hannah walked close to the girl and put a hand on her shoulder. Toureau jumped and turned, eyes startled and also, for a moment, distant. "Are you alright?"

"I, uh, I…" Toureau stammered. She shook her head as if to clear cob webs from her brain. "Uh, yeah." She gazed around her. "What am I doing here?"

"You were standing here, talking to yourself." Hannah's eyes narrowed. "Commander, how have you been feeling?"

Toureau looked sheepishly at Hannah. "Well, my headache still hasn't gone away," she admitted.

"Let's get back to the Menari," Hannah demanded. "I want to get to the fleets and you need to visit Riley again."

* * *

Hannah stood next to Keta on the bridge of the Menari as it sailed through the relay.

"We'll reach the coordinates in a few minutes, boss," the pilot reported, an asari with purplish skin.

"When we get near them, wait so Hannah can send a message."

"Got it."

The ship flew farther in system, passing a large star in the process. When they moved beyond the star and Hannah could see what was on the other side, she sucked in a breath. Keta whistled. They hadn't found just the Alliance fleets—they'd stumbled into a galaxy armada. There were ships from all the races, each positioned with their own fleets: turians, asari, salarians, krogans, geth, quarians, even drell and elcor.

"Batarians," Keta breathed out. Hannah blinked, marveling. Yes, one whole section had become the parking lot of at least twenty batarian ships. There were also several ships of designs she didn't even recognize.

"They know they've got to work together. It's their only hope," Hannah whispered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keta put her hand protectively over her belly.

Hannah flipped on her omni-tool, connecting to Steven's signal. She put her hand to her ear. "Admiral, this is Captain Shepard."

"Welcome. Letting the boys know your ship can come in. Who are you with?"

"I'd like to explain that in person."

"Fine. I gave you the coordinates of my ship. I'll see you there. Hackett out."

"Just follow the coordinates," Hannah said. The pilot flew on, through the amassed fleets. As they drew close to the coordinates, something large and under construction came into view. It was round and small ships surrounded it, moving here and there, using robotic arms to move steel beams into place.

"What is it?" Keta asked.

Hannah shrugged. "A weapon? A bomb? We'll find out."

The pilot zoomed past the circular object that dwarfed the Menari. Hannah recognized Steven's ship as it came into view. The pilot pulled alongside, asked for landing clearance and received it. Hannah walked with Keta to the hangar bay. When they reached the shuttle, Lucas was already there, waiting for them.

"I guess this is good-bye," he said, holding out a friendly hand to Hannah.

Hannah was about to respond when Keta interrupted. "Not yet. I'm going over with her."

"Huh?" Lucas asked, eyes confused.

"I want to know what they're up to."

Lucas stared at her. He reached out his hand and placed his palm on her belly. "_We _can protect her."

Keta put her own hand over Lucas'. "This might be the only way. I'm going. You can stay here or come with us." She squeezed Lucas' hand, then climbed into the shuttle.

Hannah said nothing, ignoring Lucas and his conflicted look as she boarded the shuttle. She heard movement behind her.

"I'm coming," Lucas' disgruntled voice grumbled out.

When the shuttle docked, Hannah was greeted by a young soldier in a freshly pressed uniform. She recognized the type: newly joined the Alliance, assigned as an assistant to Hackett.

"Captain, ma'am!" the young man addressed Hannah, saluting. "If you'll follow me, ma'am."

"Lead the way," Hannah instructed, smiling at the eagerness of youth. Did she really act like that at one time? Age, she thought, had a way of mellowing you, toning down your idealism with wisdom.

Hannah, Keta and Lucas followed the young man to a small office. He touched a panel and spoke sharply. "Captain Shepard and friends, sir."

"You may go, Keweiki," Steven's voice replied.

"Yes, sir!"

The door opened as the young man marched away. Hannah stepped inside to see Steven standing, moving from behind his desk to greet her. He held out his hand and Hannah shook it. His grip was firm and enthusiastic. "To tell you the truth, you're a sight for sore eyes."

"You, too," Hannah answered, glad to be back in the company of a friend she knew so well.

Steven's eyes moved to those standing behind her and suddenly grew hard. "So, you found our prisoner."

Hannah glanced back at Lucas' guilty and apprehensive face. "You don't need to worry about him anymore."

"Not that I have the time or inclination to do so now anyway," Steven ground out. "Have a seat."

Hannah sat down in a chair as Lucas and Keta followed suit. Steven sat down behind his desk, eyeing Lucas and Keta warily. "I assume, since you brought them along, I can speak freely with them here."

"They aren't going to betray us, I'm sure of that."

"Hum," Steven intoned, his gaze still critical of Lucas.

"Sir," Lucas said. "You can trust me. I'm sorry for what I did."

"It's fortunate for you, Commander, that I care more about defeating the Reapers than filling my brig."

"Yes, sir," Lucas agreed humbly.

Steven turned his attention to Hannah and spoke to her. "Did you see our project?"

Hannah nodded. "The round thing."

Steven nodded. "We're calling it the Crucible. We think it's a super weapon that can defeat the Reapers. We found the design in Prothean archives. We're putting all our resources into it and gathering any help we can. When we deploy it, we've got to be prepared for resistance. We need this to work. From our calculations, the Reapers will own the entire galaxy in little over a week. They've stepped up their attacks in recent days."

"What can I do to help?" Hannah questioned, her heart quickening as she readied herself to be part of the action again.

"First things first," Steven said, fixing her with a small smile. "We've lost a lot of people and since I'm in charge, I've decided to promote you to Rear Admiral. You can't argue me out of it, so don't try."

Hannah nodded once, accepting her promotion and remembering her refusal to let the Alliance brass make her an admiral. "Okay, but what else?"

"We're dividing our forces into three groups: Hammer, Sword and Shield. Hammer is composed of all marines from our various armies. Sword is our space navy. Shield will protect the Crucible when we deploy it. I want you to plan the logistics for Shield, organize the ships, prepare them for defense. And when we go in, I want you to command them."

Hannah inhaled deeply. "I'll give you everything I've got."

"I never expect less, Admiral," Steven said, his blue eyes dancing for just a moment. He turned his penetrating gaze to Lucas. "And although I'm not exactly happy with _you_, the truth is we could use more technical experts. We have a place for you if you'll take it."

Lucas' eyes flicked to Keta. "I'm going to have to decli…"

"He'll do it," Keta blurted out.

"But…"

Keta reached over and took Lucas' hand, her four eyes focusing on his two. "We've been kidding ourselves. There won't be a galaxy left to live in if this doesn't work. We're staying. Do this for me."

Lucas's lips grew taut in a forced smile. "For you." He looked to Hackett. "Show me what I can do."

* * *

After a bit more discussion determining who went where, it was finally decided that for the time being, Hannah would make the Menari her "office." Lucas was shuttled to another ship with the technical analysts, promising he'd be back before dinner time. Keta offered her aid to Hannah in whatever capacity she needed her. Currently they sat next to each other in Keta's room, both tapping away on data pads and omni-tools, reading up on the Crucible and the number of ships that had joined the fleets. Hannah paused a moment to peruse an e-mail just sent by Steven.

_Hannah, I wanted you to know I contacted Jane, told her you were alive and proud of her. She's been the backbone of this whole operation. Without her, we wouldn't even have a chance. Steven._

Hannah looked next to her at Keta, sitting quietly, all eyes intent on her data pad, a hand absentmindedly on her belly, rubbing it with a circular motion. Hannah thought back to when humanity had first met the turians, how she'd been scared for Jane. At times during the conflict, she'd envisioned these monstrous aliens charging onto Mythos intent on destruction. She couldn't imagine what it must be like now, facing an enemy far more powerful than turians, knowing that you might not live another day and your child could be crushed before it ever drew breath.

"Keta, why did you decide to become a mother _now_?" Hannah asked quietly, her thoughts shaped into words.

Keta flicked her eyes to Hannah. "You mean why when I could so easily die in the next week?"

Hannah nodded, impressed with Keta's candor.

Keta actually chuckled. "It was a whim really." She paused for such a long time, Hannah thought she wasn't going to elaborate, but she finally went on. "After rescuing Lucas, we, uh, were enjoying each other's company and we got talking about how things might have been if we'd been a family. Lucas lamented his age, his messed up relationship with his son, how he wished he'd had another opportunity to be a good father. Well, I thought, 'Why wait?' I mean, look what happened to the Bahak system. You wait around and you lose your chance. I was still fertile and it was possible. I guess I got caught up in the moment."

"Would you have waited if you knew the Reapers would be here this soon?"

Keta sighed. "Maybe. Maybe not. If I'd waited, I'd have more credits now for resources. Paying for impregnation isn't cheap nowadays, especially in batarian space."

"So...you went to a sperm bank?" Hannah inquired. Keta stopped tapping on her data pad, placed it on the table in front of her and rubbed her hands together, clearly uncomfortable. Hannah sensed she'd moved into private territory. "Sorry. It's a personal question, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay," Keta insisted. "It's just, most batarians aren't exactly okay with the idea. To them, a child is only valued if she's been conceived…normally. But, of course, with Lucas and me, we had no choice. Luckily, the odd rogue batarian is willing to sell his genetic material if the price is right." Keta's face grew worried all of a sudden and she stared into the distance.

Hannah reached out to touch her shoulder. Keta didn't jerk away as she had two years ago. Hannah guessed being affectionate with Lucas had changed the batarian. "It'll be alright. She'll be okay."

"Hum?" Keta said, pulling out of her reverie. "Oh, yes. I assume that. Most batarians are dead. We're a homeless race now. I don't think we'll have time for petty prejudices with one another."

"Then what's bothering you?"

Keta sighed and turned to face Hannah fully. "If I tell you, you _can't_ tell Lucas."

"We aren't exactly on conspiratorial terms. I'm not going to say anything to him."

"I just…" Keta took a deep breath. "I worry Lucas won't be able to accept her. She won't really be his."

"He wasn't part of the process?"

"He was. He encouraged me. Went with me every step of the way. But…how can I be sure he'll really love her when she's born? I want her to experience what I didn't, a mother _and_ a father who actually love her."

Hannah smiled gently, recognizing the fears of new motherhood in her friend's worries. "He'll love her because she's part of _you_. I've watched the way he looks at you, touches your belly, speaks to it. My husband acted the same way when I was pregnant with Jane. Trust me. He's all in."

Keta nodded and smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She seemed relieved, but a sudden frown pulled the edges of her mouth downward again. "Will he be 'in' even when she cries half the night and he can't sleep?" Keta asked warily.

Hannah laughed. "At that point, pretty much every parent doesn't enjoy it."

"Sometimes I wonder what I've gotten myself into," Keta mumbled.

Hannah smiled broadly. "There will be hard times, but, from someone who's farther down the line, it's worth it."

"You have every reason to be proud," Keta asserted. "You've raised a woman who's saving the galaxy. I can only hope I'm half the mother you've been."

Hannah smiled, thinking back to Jane's childhood. "Motherhood is something you just…do. You muddle through it, try to do your best, love your child and pray it all turns out right in the end."

Keta nodded thoughtfully, turning her eyes back to her data pad. "Balak's here."

"In the fleets?" Hannah asked, surprise passing over her face.

"I have half a mind to take Lucas over to his ship in the shuttle and let him carry out all the threats he's made towards Balak over the last couple years."

"Lucas knows about…"

"He knows everything," Keta said. "I don't keep secrets from him."

Hannah shook her head in wonder. "Honestly, it's a little weird you and Lucas together. I mean, you hated each other right off."

Keta mused. "Broken people tend to find each other, I think." She looked back to her data pad. "How do you want to use the batarian fleets?"

Hannah switched her own data pad back to the list of ships currently in-system. "What can they do best?"

As Keta elaborated on batarian combat, Hannah only half-heard her. She was thinking about Keta's idea that broken people found each other. Not only did they find each other, Hannah thought, they also mended each other, too.

* * *

Hannah spent the next week planning, strategizing and meeting with admirals and captains of the Shield fleet. Keta was invaluable, lending her own sharp mind to the process. Years of finding her own way in the galaxy had created in her a unique ability to think outside the box. Hannah came to believe that Keta would have made a good Alliance captain if she'd been human.

Lucas worked directly on the Crucible and concluded that it was not a weapon in any conventional sense. The architects didn't even know exactly what it did, just that the Protheans considered it their last line of defense in the previous Reaper war. Whatever it was, Hannah hoped it would end the Reapers once and for all. Lucas also said it was missing a large component and that any day now, Hackett promised they'd know what that was. Hannah prayed they found it before it was too late.

Currently, Hannah was lying on her bunk, crashed out after a long day of meetings. She'd just closed her eyes when Lucas came barreling through the door. "Hackett wants you immediately."

Hannah opened her eyes unwillingly, standing up and walking in place next to Lucas as they headed for the bridge and communications. "Is this it?"

"I don't know," Lucas replied, his voice tense.

When they made it to the bridge, Hannah marched over to Toureau. "Connect me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Shepard here."

"It's time," Hackett's voice reported, full of authority. "We've been informed the Crucible needs the Citadel to be complete."

"The Citadel?"

"I know. You think that's hard to swallow, the Citadel is now in the Sol system near Earth."

"How?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. The point is, the Reapers now know we've got the Crucible. When we head to Earth, they'll be ready for us."

Hannah felt her chest rise and fall rapidly.

"The Normandy will meet up with us on the way. It's going to join Sword. We'll move in, Sword punching a hole so Hammer can get on the ground. Shield will hold back, waiting to move the Crucible into position."

"Understood."

"Your fleets are vital to this mission, Admiral. The Crucible is all we have left at this point."

"We won't fail."

"You can't. We move out in ten minutes. Hackett out."

Hannah turned and found half of Keta's crew standing there, staring at her. She stood up straight and tall, her naval training taking over. "They're ready for us. We're going to fall behind Sword and Hammer and protect the Crucible at all costs."

Lucas, who was standing next to Keta, put his arm around her waist and drew her into him. Hannah swallowed hard. She didn't want to see Keta die before she became a mother. "If anyone wants to leave, this is the time," she said, giving Keta the opportunity to pull out.

"I'm committed as is my crew," Keta affirmed, putting her own arm around Lucas' waist. "We aren't letting the Reapers take what's left of our people." Keta's statement was echoed in murmurs of assent that came from her crew, human, asari, krogan, salarian and batarian alike.

"Let's send 'em back to the hell they came from!" Thad shouted out, fist punching the air. Everyone verbally agreed and several other crew members shouted out as well.

Hannah nodded, skimming the resolute faces in front of her. "Then let's get to it."


	39. Shield

The combined galaxy fleets sailed through space diving straight for Earth. Never in the history of the galaxy had anything so momentous taken place—species from all planets unified as one. Hannah had a perfect view of the impressive feat as the Menari flew at the rear, guarding the Crucible. Through the cockpit window, she scanned the space ahead, every inch filled with ships whose unique designs reflecting their races. Hadn't Jane once mentioned that it sometimes took war to bring unity? She had been right.

After a time, the order for an all stop came. Hannah paced back and forth on the Menari's bridge, aware that somewhere in the massive conglomeration ahead the Normandy was joining up with Sword. Jane was so close and yet so far from her. At least they would be in the battle together. Hannah pondered fleetingly if either of them would make it out alive or if they would find themselves reuniting with Daniel, a family once again on the other side. Hannah discerned within herself a lack of fear or worry. Somehow, knowing Daniel was waiting for them broke the foreboding mood that usually accompanied the likelihood of death.

Several minutes passed, then Hannah heard a commanding voice in her ear. "Admiral to address the fleets. Open all channels."

Hannah turned to Toureau. "Admiral Hackett is going to address the crew."

Toureau, who had been squinting her eyes, now opened them fully and nodded, tapping on her console. In a moment, Steven's voice came out confident and determined, filling the Menari with its tenor.

"Never before have so many come together from all quarters of the galaxy. But never before have we faced an enemy such as this. The Reapers will show us no mercy. We must give them no quarter. They _will_ terrorize our populations. We must stand fast in the face of that terror. They will advance until our last city falls, but we will not fall. We will prevail. Each of us will be defined by our actions in the coming battle. Stand fast. Stand strong. Stand together. Hackett out."

Hannah's heart thumped rapidly in her chest as she listened to Steven's words. This was the end of life as they had known it. Whether they succeeded or failed, nothing would ever be the same. She turned her head to see Keta nodding at her, all eyes fierce. She spied Lucas behind the batarian, his face set in a hard gaze, staring out the forward view. If looks could kill, he would have taken down all the Reapers single-handedly. Others on the bridge shared the visages of her friends, resolute and ready. Here she was, in command of a mixed crew, aliens fighting together to save all they knew and loved. They could not, would not, fail.

Another voice sounded privately in her ear. "Hannah, this is Steven."

Hannah recognized the personal nature of Steven's call when he used her first name and not her title. "Yes?"

"I wanted to keep everything on the up and up with you. I wanted you to know the Normandy's going to stick with Sword, but Jane's going in with Hammer."

Hannah put her hand to her neck, feeling her pulse beat harshly under her hand. Jane would be down on the ground fighting Reapers face to face. It made sense. She had the most experience with them. Of course they would want her on the ground. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Hackett out."

_If she dies_, Hannah prepared herself, _You're going to have to be okay with it._

* * *

A few minutes later, the order went out to proceed through the relays to Earth. Ship after ship disappeared in front of Shield. Shield's orders were to hang back several seconds after Sword and Hammer entered the last relay, then follow with the Crucible in tow. Hannah fell into the habit of duty, mind focused only on sending orders and tracking replies, making sure every ship in Shield understood its orders and held its place. Keta aided her, monitoring a tactical screen on the Menari's bridge, letting her know if anything was amiss.

Minutes ticked by. "All ships from Sword and Hammer are through the relays," Lucas called out. He'd resumed his XO job unofficially, falling back into the rhythm he and Hannah had developed on the Orizaba. Hannah had to admit it felt good to have a trusted and trained Alliance soldier by her side. Despite Jenson's skill, she'd missed Lucas' customary presence on her bridge.

"Shield," Hannah spoke into her comm, "Head to the relay." It was the last jump to the battle. The relay came up fast and gripped the Menari in its energy field. The slight shake of transport lasted only seconds, then the Menari skimmed into the local cluster. They passed Pluto, zooming towards Earth.

"Shield, hold," Hannah commanded when they'd reached the agreed upon coordinates. She peered through the cockpit window. Even from quite a distance, they could perceive that battle had been engaged. Plumes of fire dotted forward space like the twinkling Christmas lights she remembered when she grew up in Michigan. _Is there even a Michigan left?_ she wondered. She'd always loved Christmas, the lights especially. But the twinkling she saw now brought no joy; each flare of light indicated a ship gone and most likely, one of theirs.

"Toureau, what are you hearing?"

"Uh…"

Hannah turned when Toureau hesitated to answer. The girl had her hand to her forehead. Hannah walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be doing this. You're in no condition…"

"No, no, I'm fine,' Toureau asserted, bringing her hand back to the controls. "I mean, I can do it, ma'am."

Hannah considered. The girl looked at her with determination. Hannah relented, deciding not to pull her from the bridge. The girl needed to be part of this battle, if only to feel she had done something against those who had probably taken her parents from her.

"There's a lot of chatter," Toureau went on, now reporting. "From what I gather, the Normandy's dropped Commander Shepard off to try and make a way for Hammer into London."

Jane was already on Earth. Hannah couldn't help but send her daughter mental thoughts of encouragement. _You can do it, Jane. Don't give up._ She knew science showed such an act fruitless, but it didn't matter. She felt better doing it. It made her feel close to Jane when her daughter was going through the most horrendous time in her entire life.

Time wore on. Toureau reported Hammer not yet through, Shepard advancing. Hannah visibly relaxed once Toureau finally reported that Hammer was landing and Jane had reached the forward base in London.

"Admiral," Steven's voice spoke into Hannah's ear.

"Here, sir," she replied.

"Hammer is hitting groundside. We've got a problem. The Citadel's arms are closed. I want Shield to advance forward slowly. Stay behind Sword. We're going to make sure no one gets through to you. Line up directly across from the Citadel. The second those arms open, you're going in."

"Aye, sir."

"Hackett out."

Hannah issued the orders and Keta took to her comm, calling the captains and admirals of Shield, confirming they understood Shield's next movements. The Reapers had obviously caught wind of the plans for the Crucible, having absconded with the station and closed it off. Hannah knew someone would have to open the arms and the only place that could be done was on the Citadel itself. She'd once wondered why everything seemed to center on the Citadel. Maybe that was the destiny of the station, to always be the object on the main stage of events in the galaxy.

Shield advanced closer to Sword, keeping back from the action, but ready to go in when commanded to. More time passed. She understood why Steven had tasked her with the command of Shield—her service with the Alliance had resulted in unparalleled skill in defensive tactics and protection. But she hated the waiting game. Lives were being lost right in front of her, yet she had to follow orders, let them die so the Crucible could come in and save the day when the time was right.

"Admiral?" a soft French voice called to her.

Hannah faced Toureau. "Yes?"

"I have a call coming in for you…It's Commander Shepard."

Jane? Now? "Put her through." Hannah's heart pumped and she heard static on her end as she put her hand to her ear. "Jane?"

"Mom?"

"Hey. Sorry we don't have visual. The ship I'm on isn't equipped with vid comm."

"It's okay. I'm sorry I never got in touch with you after Hackett told me you were alive."

"I understand. They couldn't let me in on the secret."

"Yeah. Look, I'm going to make a push for the Citadel, try to get there and open the arms."

Hannah's heart skipped a beat. "You'll get through. I know it."

"Mom, I had to talk to you. If I don't make it…"

"You will."

"Listen to me."

"I'm listening."

"I love you, mom. Thanks for everything. Thanks for being there for me when dad died, for inspiring my career, for supporting me every step of the way. I couldn't have asked for a better mother."

Hannah felt tears in her eyes. This time, she didn't brush them away. There was something honorable about letting them course down her cheeks. She swallowed the knot in her throat. "I couldn't have asked for a better daughter. You've made me proud, honey, everything you've done. You get to the Citadel, get those arms open and come back to me. That's an order, you got it?"

She heard a soft chuckle. "Yes, ma'am. Shepard out."

Hannah gulped, now putting her palms to her cheeks to wipe the wetness away. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning she saw Lucas, his gaze compassionate, his face pulled back in a grim smile. "She'll make it. I swear that girl's got nine lives and she's only used up one."

Hannah smiled, grateful for Lucas' encouragement and humor. "Thanks." Jane couldn't die again, could she, not when she'd already died once? There had to be some mercy for her somewhere out there in the galaxy.

Steven's voice sounded once again in Hannah's ear. "Shield, Sword has cut a path for you to the Citadel. Move in. We've got to be there when the arms open."

"All ships! Head in. Straight course," Hannah commanded through her comm.

Hannah heard a chorus of "ayes" respond and Shield began its final trip, moving forward toward the Citadel. The stationed loomed larger and larger as they traveled towards it.

After a while, Keta called out. "Quarian fleet's out of alignment."

"Admiral Korralos," Hannah spoke authoritatively. "Why are you straying?...Admiral?" When she got no response, Hannah turned. "Toureau…" her question stalled in her throat. Toureau's seat was vacant. Hannah scanned the bridge, but didn't see the girl anywhere.

"Lucas?"

Lucas had already traipsed over to communications, tapping away. He turned a worried face on her. "Communications are locked down."

"What?"

"There's some program running here, tying up all communication." Lucas flipped on his omni-tool. "I'll work on it, get it sorted out."

"Did anyone see where Toureau went?" Hannah asked the bridge crew.

"She left after you got the call from Commander Shepard," Jeparn answered her.

Keta's hands were flying over her station. "Found her." Hannah walked over to stand next to her. Keta had pulled up a grainy black and white video feed. Toureau stood to the right of the screen, fiddling with a console.

"How did you…"

Keta smiled wickedly. "I hire criminals. I make sure I can keep tabs on everyone."

Hannah pushed aside the thought that Keta's eyes had been able to watch her at all times on board the Menari to deal with the more pressing matter of Toureau's location. "That's engineering," Hannah stated, confused. "Why is she there?"

"Admiral," Jeparn spoke again.

Hannah looked over at him. "Yes?"

"Engineering has been locked down as well. She's doing something down there."

Hannah's eyebrows knit in concern. What was Toureau up to and why? "I'm going down there to figure this out. Keep straight on towards the Citadel." She stalked to the stairs and rushed down them. She paused at the bottom, then hot footed it to her quarters. She slipped in for only a moment and grabbed her pistol. Her intuition was screaming at her that something was terribly wrong.

* * *

When Hannah reached engineering, she found the three engineers, all batarians, standing outside, beating on the door in frustration. A quick conversation revealed that Toureau had shown up and lured them outside with an excuse about Keta wanting to see them, then locked them out of the section. Hannah could see Toureau inside, squatting in the middle of the room, messing with a rather large object on the floor. The batarians had tried to get her attention, but to no avail. Hannah walked to the window and pressed a hand to the door panel so her voice could be heard inside.

"Toureau! Toureau! Answer me!"

The girl didn't turn, keeping her back to Hannah.

"Toureau! What are you doing? Toureau?" There was still no response. Hannah pressed on the panel again, sending her voice across the entire ship. "Lucas! I need you down here, now!"

Hannah kept trying to get a response from Toureau. In less than a minute, Lucas had shown up. "What's going on?"

"I don't know what she's doing, but I need to get in there. Open this door."

Lucas put his omni-tool to work on the engineering door. When a couple minutes had passed by, Hannah began to get frustrated. "Why is it taking so long?"

"This is really complicated," Lucas explained, his fingers moving as fast as they could. "I don't know how she did this."

"Lucas! Lucas!" Keta came running down the hall. Lucas looked up.

"Keta?"

"I don't know how, but she's got control of navigation. She's turned the ship around. We're heading back through the fleets towards the Crucible."

Hannah's heart thumped wildly. How did Toureau even have the skills to pull this off? This was sabotage of the highest order, it had to be. Communications locked out, the ship under Toureau's control, moving towards the Crucible and the girl was messing with something unknown to her. What was the young woman planning to do?

One of the batatirans standing outside engineering staring through the window suddenly gasped.

"What is it?" Keta asked, her tone demanding an immediate answer.

"I think, boss, perhaps, that thing she's putting together, it looks like an explosive device."

Hannah focused on Toureau, watching as she wired the device she was working on. She could think of only one conclusion that fit the current series of events.

"She's going to smash into the Crucible, try to disable it by blowing the Menari."

Keta's four eyes went wide and her hands gripped her belly tightly. "Who _is_ she? Why?"

Hannah's mind was firing, putting together the pieces. Toureau and her headaches. Finding Toureau, not at the memorial wall on the Citadel, but out of place at the docks. The conversation she'd overheard as Toureau conversed with herself. All of those could have been indications of more than an injury sustained when the Orizaba disintegrated. How _had_ Toureau taken a blow to the face and not been suffocated when her helmet broke to pieces?

Hannah breathed out. "She's indoctrinated."

Lucas turned horrified eyes on Hannah. "We brought a traitor on board."

"How long till we reach the Crucible?" Hannah questioned Keta.

"Uh…" the batarian stammered. "Maybe fifteen minutes at the most."

Lucas grabbed Hannah's shoulder in a death grip. "Get Keta to an escape pod and get off this ship."

"Lucas!" Keta protested, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Do this for me!" Lucas cried out. He pulled Keta to himself and kissed her quickly and passionately, then pushed her away. "Save our baby."

"Lucas, I'm not leaving. You die, I die."

Lucas turned back to Hannah. "Please," he pleaded. "Get her off. Don't let an innocent child die here today."

Hannah turned and took Keta by the arm. "Let's go."

"No."

"Keta!" Hannah yelled. "Think of your child. You're a mother. You can't think only about yourself anymore." Hannah pulled Keta's arm, directing her through the ship. As they passed humans and aliens in the hallway, Hannah sent out the word that all crew needed to make for the escape pods. It wasn't long before there was a rush of aliens trying to get off the Menari. Hannah found a life pod and forced Keta into it. When Keta was situated, Hannah stepped out.

"Hannah, what are you…"

"Your daughter's your life now," Hannah stated, slamming her palm against the escape pod controls. The door slid shut and the pod made a hissing sound as it ejected into space. Hannah turned, feet pounding the metal floor as she sped back down the hall.

* * *

When Hannah returned to engineering, Lucas was now alone, still working frantically on the door. He glanced at her only with the corner of his eye, his concentration riveted on the door.

"Why are you here?" he asked tersely.

"You're getting that door open, then you're getting out of here."

"Go. I've got this."

"I'm not letting Keta's child grow up without a father!" Hannah shouted.

Lucas didn't respond. There was a sudden swoosh and the door slid open. Hannah raised her pistol and pushed Lucas out of the way. "Get off. Go be the father you always wanted to be."

"Hannah…," Lucas muttered, his eyes misting.

"I forgive you, Lucas," Hannah declared sincerely. "Now go!"

Lucas turned and ran down the hall.

Hannah stalked into engineering holding her pistol in front of her with both hands. Proximity alarms were sounding loudly in the room. In a few more minutes, they'd be slamming right into the Crucible.

"Toureau, stop!" Hannah called out, reluctant to shoot the girl even now.

Toureau stood and turned, causing Hannah to jump for two reasons. First, Toureau's bandages were gone, revealing a face burned horribly away, splotchy and melted. Second, her eyes had gone white, glowing eerily. Her voice came out deep and halting. "You don't understand. Your limited mind cannot comprehend. This must be done."

"Toureau, don't listen to the voices! They're lying to you!"

"No," Toureau answered calmly.

"I have no choice," Hannah whispered. She pulled the trigger. A projectile shot from her pistol, wounding Toureau in the leg. The girl cried out in anger, but still went to the ground. Hannah hurried forward, staring at the object Toureau had been working on. She didn't know where to start. She'd had training in the marines on how to disengage bombs, but this one seemed to be part Reaper tech. Her next idea was to get it off the ship. She tugged at it, trying to pull it, but it held fast. Several tendrils were wrapped around the device that eventually trailed down to the ground where they had dug through and attached themselves, securing the device to the floor.

"You would need this one to loosen it. She will not," Toureau's deep, unearthly voice spoke. "And killing this one will make no difference. If this one does not detonate it, it will detonate itself in moments."

Hannah glared at the indoctrinated Toureau. She headed towards the door. There was still one way to make sure the ship didn't reach the Crucible. She felt a sudden pain in her back and she pitched forward to the ground, rolling onto her back as she hit the floor. Toureau jumped on her, throwing punches right and left. Hannah cried out in both pain and anger, then the combat skills she'd practiced for years took over. She flipped Toureau off of her, sending the girl careening across the floor. She reached for the pistol that had clattered out of her hands when Toureau had assaulted her. Toureau was rushing back towards her when Hannah fired, the shot catching Toureau right in the gut. The girl screeched out and halted, toppling to the floor. She shook for a moment, then lay still.

Hannah wanted to cry. She'd just killed a member of her crew, shot a young woman with so much life and vitality. She pushed her thoughts away. This wasn't the time. If the Crucible was to be saved, she _had_ to unlock the Menari's piloting controls. She rushed for the bridge.

When she entered the bridge, it was empty, the crew having fled. Hannah assumed they had all made it to the escape pods. She looked out the forward view. The Menari would hit the Crucible in two minutes tops.

Hannah slid into the pilot's seat. Flipping on her omni-tool, she worked furiously trying to undo the lock down. She wasn't a technical expert, but the omni-tool Keta had given her was souped up with powerful programs. She hoped her limited technical knowledge and Keta's penchant for ridiculously upgraded omni-tools would be enough. The Crucible grew larger and larger. With seconds to spare, the controls unlocked, flashing green. Hannah's fingers flew over the controls, veering the Menari away from the Crucible. She strained in and out for breath. She peered over at the vid screen and its image of engineering. Toureau still lay on the ground and the device was flashing blue. How long did she have until it blew?

Hannah turned back to the piloting controls and swung the Menari around, glad years of observing her pilots had given her the general knowledge she needed to fly a ship. "If I'm going down, I'm taking some of you with me," she growled out, heading straight into the thick of battle on a collision course for the first Reaper she could find.

* * *

Author's Note: Hackett's speech comes straight from Mass Effect 3


	40. Mourning

Hannah leaned forward in the pilot's seat, pushing the Menari into the raging battle. She could only hope that the Crucible had made its target and linked up with the Citadel. She didn't know how much time she had left. She thrust the ship into the path of a Reaper surrounded by allied ships. As she careened towards the Reaper, she drew in a tight breath and pressed back into her seat.

"Daniel," she whispered. "I'm coming." She felt tears pouring down her cheeks. The Reaper grew larger and larger.

"Admiral," a halted voice sounded in her ear. "Admiral, I'm sorry." Hannah recognized Toureau's voice, shaky and human. She glanced to the side at Keta's view screen. Toureau was missing from engineering. So was the bomb.

"Toureau?" The girl couldn't be alive, could she? _Am I already dead?_ Hannah wondered. Had the end come so fast she hadn't seen it? She glanced around the bridge, half expecting to see a ghostly Toureau standing behind her. When she saw no one, she stood up from the pilot's seat and moved to Keta's station, flipping through camera feeds. She finally found an image of Toureau in the hangar bay, a dark wound gaping in her middle. She was stumbling, dragging the Reaper device into the bay.

"I'm not going to let them win," Toureau's angry voice ground out. Hannah could hear her grunting as she pulled at the bomb. She'd reached a panel and began fiddling with it. "If you ever find out my parents are still alive, tell them I'm sorry."

"Toureau!" Intuiting Toureau's intentions, Hannah stabbed at Keta's station, searching vainly for some kind of override. The girl couldn't be thinking clearly. They could do this another way. Hannah stopped her frantic pecking when the hangar bay doors opened. She watched in horror as everything in the room was blown into space, including Toureau and the bomb.

Hannah turned back to the cockpit window. It was too late. She'd hit the Reaper in seconds. That was when it happened. As Hannah clutched the headrest of the pilot's seat, her knuckles white, sure her life was over, an electric red energy began to lick at the Reaper and suddenly, it broke into several pieces, flying violently apart. Hannah closed her eyes as the Menari skimmed through the debris, buffeted here and there. She lost her grip on the pilot's seat and was thrown across the bridge, rolling over the floor and slamming into a wall. She heard the confident voice of Steven urgently speaking in her ear.

"All fleets. Get to the rendezvous point."

Hannah pulled herself up and crawled back to the pilot's chair, amazed she was still alive. She ignored the pain in her side and punched the controls, turning the Menari around, launching it away from Earth. She felt a violent wave of turbulence and held onto the pilot's console, keeping her seat, praying she'd make it to the rendezvous point in one piece. Through the window, she could see she was in good company, Alliance ships by the hundreds all moving in the same direction.

When she reached the coordinates, she powered down the Menari, then placed a hand to her ear. "Shield! All Shield ships! I need rescue of escape pods immediately."

"We saw the pods jettison," Admiral Korralos' voice came through her comm. "Several ships pulled out to pick them up. As far as I know, your crew is safe."

Hannah breathed out a sigh of relief. She hadn't lost another crew. She didn't know if she could live with the loss of two crews on her conscience. It was hard enough dealing with one.

"What happened?" Korralos went on. "Communication from the Menari went dead and you changed direction,"

"I'll explain later," Hannah assured him.

"Certainly, Admiral."

Hannah put her hand to her comm. "Steven? Steven?"

"Admiral," Steven's voice came through.

"Did we win?"

"The Reapers are being destroyed, self-destructing."

"Jane?"

There was a long pause. Hannah gulped. "No word…but I'm sure she's responsible for the destruction. I'll let you know when we hear from her. Hackett out."

Hannah collapsed back in the pilot's seat. _If_ they heard from her. Jane had most likely just given her life to save the entire galaxy. Hannah looked down at her abdomen and reflexively put her hand on it. Watching Keta the past few days had drawn her backwards in time, remembering what it was like to carry a child and raise her, infusing her with all your hopes and dreams. Every mother hoped her child would achieve a life of character and meaning. Had Jane achieved the pinnacle of her existence at the cost of her life? Maybe it had been Jane's destiny all along to die to the Reapers in order to save the galaxy. Pride swelled her heart as well as sadness. If Jane had paid the ultimate price, it had been worth it and she'd make sure the galaxy never forgot her sacrifice.

* * *

Hannah's thoughts and worries about Jane were soon set to the side as a whirlwind of activity consumed her now that the battle was over and the Reapers destroyed. First, the crew of the Menari shuttled back from the ships that had rescued the escape pods. Keta was the first to exit from the hangar, flying into Hannah's arms, embracing her in a tight hug, almost squeezing her to death. Hannah was a bit flabbergasted at the batarian's unusual action, but the reason was only too clear. Keta declared over and over how indebted she was to Hannah for saving not only her baby's life, but Lucas' as well. Lucas came after Keta, shaking Hannah's hand firmly and biting his lip.

"I should have stayed. It was great what you did, but I shouldn't have left you alone," he mumbled sheepishly.

Hannah had shaken her head at him. "Don't waste your life guilt-tripping yourself, Lucas. Get over it so you can be fully there for Keta and your daughter, okay?" What tension remained between Lucas and Hannah dissolved completely away with her words.

Lucas had grinned as a relaxed air returned to his posture. "Okay."

The next order of business was to comb the space over Earth and search for survivors. The amount of debris was overwhelming. Riley's small med bay was quickly filled with wounded. Any member of the crew, like Groom, who had any medical experience, was ordered to help out. Riley had also briefly checked Hannah out. Except for two large bruises, one on her back and one in her side, Hannah was fine.

Once Shield had been saturated with injured and could take on no more, Hannah turned her attention to the unenviable task of documenting deaths. Hannah, Keta and Lucas spent numerous hours tracking down ships. Confirming casualties was difficult—many of the dead had been blown up by Reapers leaving no remains to recover. The best they could do was add a ship to the MIA list and hope some definitive proof would either confirm another death or announce a miraculous survival.

Hannah found she couldn't relax. Every time she tried to sleep, nightmares haunted her. She was consumed with thoughts of Toureau, indoctrinated, committing suicide to save the Menari. Then there were the lists of deaths, most species' militaries cut by at least half, if not more. The crew of the Orizaba intruded often as she hadn't yet properly mourned its loss. And, of course, on the edges of her mind at all times hovered Jane. Hannah gave up sleeping. Even a light doze brought on thoughts of terror and anger and sorrow, emotions she wasn't ready to handle.

* * *

The day after the battle the Normandy was located, having landed on a moon and in need of repairs. Jane was not aboard. Steven informed Hannah that some of Jane's crew refused to believe she was dead and had gone to the Citadel to look for her. Hannah silently wanted to join them, but she held her peace. Not only did the Menari and Shield need her now, inside Hannah thought the search worthless. She had already convinced herself Jane hadn't made it. Every time Jane came to mind she imagined Jane and Daniel getting reacquainted. The image staved off her dissolution into deep mourning. _Not now_, she told herself. _Don't lose it yet._

The second day after the battle, Anderson's body was recovered from the Citadel. Hannah took the news hard. She grieved inwardly for the man she respected, a father figure for Jane when she needed it. He had been a good man, well loved. The Alliance plummeted deeper into sorrow at the news of his loss, especially because Anderson had been credited with saving what was left of Earth. Hannah's one consolation was knowing that Anderson had been on the Citadel. If he had been there, maybe Jane hadn't died alone. Maybe he had been with her when the end came. Both Keta and Lucas tried to talk to Hannah that day, pull her out of her apparent lack of emotion. They tried to push her to talk about Jane, but she didn't oblige. She still couldn't go there. There was too much to be done to wallow in her own personal sorrow.

On the third day, Hannah noted that some semblance of order had returned to the fleets. Lists of alive and dead were becoming more trustworthy. Debris was being hauled and removed from Earth space. Most of the fleets had stayed, wanting to honor those lost by seeing the restoration of the space of above Earth through. Steven had called for a rest and memorial the next day to give everyone a break from the carnage. He wisely knew living beings couldn't dwell in death for so long and persevere if they didn't have time to acknowledge it, face it and let it go. Hannah dreaded the next day. She didn't want to deal with Jane's death. It was much easier throwing herself into duty. But she also acknowledged she was petering out. She needed sleep and she couldn't get it. Soon, she'd lose it completely.

In the early morning hours of the fourth day, Hannah made for her bunk, ostensibly to get some sleep, knowing inside her attempt was only a feint. She'd lay on her bunk and peruse more data coming in on Shield.

"Hannah," she heard a voice call out to her.

Turning, she saw Lucas following her. "Yes? What is it?"

"I just wanted to talk."

Hannah punched open the door to her quarters. "Good night, Lucas." She made to shut the door, but Lucas stepped resolutely through. Hannah sighed. "I really need to sleep."

"You can stop pretending in front of me. We both know you aren't sleeping."

"Lucas, I can't…"

"You're killing yourself by not talking about it."

Hannah sighed and sat down on her bunk, then fixed Lucas with exhausted eyes. "I _can't_ talk about it. Not yet."

"You lost your ship, Toureau…Jane. It's too much for any of us to handle, but you especially," Lucas said, leaning against the wall.

"I _have _to handle it my way right now. And my way is not to go there."

"Hannah…"

"Have you read the latest casualty list?" Hannah interrupted.

Lucas sighed. "No. Reading those makes it worse."

Hannah reached over to her night side stand, turned on her data pad and stood, walking over to Lucas. "Read those names."

Lucas read slowly. "Tevos, Valern, Sparatus…The Citadel Council."

"Their bodies were recovered today. Do you know what this means?"

Lucas shook his head.

Hannah faced him squarely, her face grim. "It means the galaxy has no leadership. Chaos has already descended and it's going to get worse. People only want to survive and they're going to fight for it. We need strong leaders, people willing to step up." Hannah put a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "I can't afford to break down now. Not when so much needs to be repaired. Now, I'd like to try and rest, okay?"

Lucas begrudgingly walked back to the door, but paused before leaving, sending Hannah a short, compassionate backward glance. "You'll have to deal with it sometime," he muttered quietly, then left.

As Hannah laid down on her bunk, she exhaled a loud breath. What she had said was only too true. The galaxy was in a mess. It would take a long time to mold the bedlam back into some kind of order. The Reapers may have lost the war, but they'd won battles that would leave marks on the races for centuries to come. But what Lucas had said was true, too. Sometime, somewhere in the future, she'd be forced to face the truth head on.

* * *

As usual, Hannah drifted in and out of an unsatisfying, dozing sleep. Images of Toureau shot through the gut and sucked into space assaulted her. The crew members of the Orizaba taunted her, apparitions of those who had given their lives at Arcturus. Jane, coming unbidden as Hannah's mind conjured up speculative images of her final moments. If only she could have been by Jane's side. If only they could have passed on together.

After a few hours, Hannah rose, tired of fighting the battle for sleep. She flipped on her data pad, scanned through several new e-mails from various Shield admirals and washed her face in her sink with ice cold water, trying to force some kind of energy into her body. She finished and then left her room heading for the bridge.

When she got to the bridge, Lucas greeted her. "Get any sleep?"

Hannah eyed him wearily.

"I'm guessing no."

Hannah ignored him and walked to a console, skimming over any new orders that had come in.

"Five minutes until the memorials start."

Hannah kept her eyes on the console. The different races were planning memorials all across the fleets on various ships to honor the fallen.

"You going to the Normandy?"

Hannah shook her head. She'd been informed the Normandy would have its own private ceremony for Jane, add her name to its memorial wall. She'd been told she could come, but she'd already decided to stay on the Menari. Seeing Jane's name placed on a wall of death would make it all too final.

"Keta's not going to any of the memorials, either. Baby's too active and she's uncomfortable."

"I should go see her," Hannah said, beating a retreat from the bridge, unwilling to let Lucas continue to hint that she take some time and reflect on Jane's death.

* * *

When Hannah reached Keta's quarters, she knocked lightly rather than sounding the chime. She didn't want to disturb the batarian if she was resting. The door slid open. Hannah stepped through to find Keta in a chair, tapping away on her omni-tool.

"What do you need?" Keta asked.

"Just wanting to see how you are."

"Have a seat."

Hannah sat down across from Keta in an easy chair. "How's the baby?"

"She's ready to see the world, I think," Keta said, shutting down her omni-tool. She rubbed both hands over her belly.

Hannah felt an unexpected rush of jealously surge through her mind. Keta was just starting out as a mother, about to face the joy of bringing a life into this world. Hannah was at the other end, coming to terms with the fact that the life she sustained for nine months had taken her last breath.

Hannah stood. She shouldn't have come here. This wasn't helping at all. "Well, if you're alright…"

"I'm sorry about Jane," Keta said, her tone cautious. "We all owe her our lives. We'll never forget her."

"Thanks," Hannah muttered, forcing a grim smile and exiting the room. She marched through the hallways of the Menari for a time, not sure where to go or what to do. She didn't want time off. Curse Steven for making her take a break. She had just made it to her quarters again and was debating whether to hide away alone or find crew to keep her company, maybe go to the mess, when a voice spoke into her ear.

"Admiral?"

"Yes," Hannah answered, recognizing Bania, the new communications officer, a batarian.

"Admiral Hackettt is asking to speak to you urgently."

Good. Hopefully he'd found some work for her to do and was going to let her off the hook. "Put him through."

"Hannah?" she heard Steven ask. A slight tremble in his voice worried her. She'd never known Steven to sound anything less than confident.

"What is it?"

"I've sent a shuttle over to pick you up. I want you on my ship."

Hannah's brow knit in concern. "Why?"

"Are you sitting down?"

Hannah's heart skipped a beat. She knew why he was calling. "You found her body."

"Not exactly."

"Just tell me straight up, Steven." Had they found her dog tags without a body? Had she been so mutilated and destroyed that nothing was left?

"Hannah, she's not dead. We found _her_. She's alive. She's broken and bruised and horribly injured, but she's not dead, not yet."

Hannah felt her knees go weak. She leaned against the door to her quarters and then slid down to the floor, trying to breath.

"You still there?"

Hannah spoke in a whisper. "Where…how…"

"She was still on the Citadel, hidden away where the Crucible and Citadel merged. I credit members of her crew. Two of them especially wouldn't give up looking for her."

"When can I see her?"

"That's why I'm sending the shuttle. She's being treated on my ship by the best doctors we've got right now. Get to the hangar."

"Yes. Of course."

"See you soon. Hackett out."

Hannah pushed herself off the ground, stumbling like a drunken woman to the hangar bay, waiting for Steven's shuttle. She put her hand to her ear. "Keta?"

"Yes," she heard Keta's voice.

"I'm going to be off ship for a while."

"Hackett?"

"Yes…but…Jane's alive."

She heard a gasp of breath and there was a long pause, then, "Go hold your daughter."

"I will." Hannah dropped her hand from her ear. "I will," she whispered again, her arms aching as she pictured getting to hold Jane, an action she thought she'd never have the chance to take again.

* * *

Hannah felt numb when she greeted Steven after she disembarked onto his ship. Everything felt surreal, like this was a dream, too good to be true. Steven led her to the med bay, preparing her along the way by describing Jane's injuries: a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen, multiple rib fractures, a concussion and various cuts and bruises all over the rest of her body. It had taken one mighty fight for her to manage to get onboard the Citadel. Hannah listened, trying to prep herself to see her daughter again, both worried and overjoyed at the same time.

When they reached the med bay, an asari was just leaving. Hannah recognized her face, even though she'd only met her once: Liara T'Soni, one of Jane's close friends. The asari stopped, smiled gently and grasped Hannah's right hand. "Admiral Shepard…I…It's a miracle."

Hannah patted her arm, not knowing quite what to say. Their eyes met and Hannah read in Liara's tender gaze deep care for Jane. She remembered how Liara hadn't given up on Jane when she had died the first time. "I never thanked you for recovering her body."

Liara smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't let you know I found her after my e-mail. I didn't want to…hurt you further with false hope."

"I understand," Hannah answered, squeezing the asari's arm.

"They're about to wake her. They've been repairing her injuries, stabilizing her. It's a good time to see her."

_Any_ time was a good time, Hannah thought to herself.

"I'm headed back to the Normandy to inform our crew. I expect they'll want to come over immediately. I will try and tell them she is with her mother, to give you some time alone."

"Thank you." Liara nodded to Hannah and departed. Hannah turned to the med bay. Steven walked in with her as they entered the outer lounge of the bay first. The moment they did so, a turian who had been sitting down stood and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Hannah also recognized this crew member although they had never spoken: Garrus Vakarian.

"Admirals," he spoke calmly, belying his nervous action.

"Vakarian," Steven nodded. He turned to Hannah. "I think it will be best if I leave you alone. This is family time." He put an encouraging hand on her shoulder, then left the lounge. Hannah faced Garrus from across the room.

"Did you find her?"

Garrus shook his head and his mandibles fluttered. "But I was there soon after. Liara and I accompanied the soldiers looking for her."

Hannah nodded, remembering Steven mentioning two of Jane's crew that had refused to give up on her.

Garrus tilted his head towards the bay. "They said she'll be awake for visitors soon. You should see her first. I talked to her when they found her."

Hannah stared into Garrus' eyes. His nerves were not just over Jane's condition. He was petrified of meeting her. She walked over and placed a reassuring hand on his left forearm.

"I know she loves you."

Garrus blinked a couple times. "I…uh…I didn't think she told you about us."

"She didn't," Hannah admitted. "Not willingly. I kind of, asked her some questions when she wasn't aware of it."

"Ah," Garrus said, obviously not sure what Hannah referred to.

"The point is, it was clear to me she had deep feelings and attraction for you."

Garrus' mandibles flared outward and he opened his mouth in what Hannah took to be a smile. Years ago, Hannah had pondered who Jane would ultimately give her heart to. She had never considered a turian. She didn't know Garrus, his character or his intentions. The mother bear within her came alive again.

"She loves you, but do you truly love her? Or is this a fling?" Hannah asked seriously. "Because Jane isn't a toy to be used and thrown aside."

Garrus shook his head vehemently at the description. "No, no, I definitely don't think of her that way. I mean, it's not like I thought I would ever end up with a human, but…circumstances come your way and the impossible becomes…possible."

"So you love her?"

Garrus let out a soft breath. "I gave her a ring."

Hannah took a step back and cocked her head. "An engagement ring?"

"I think that's what it's called," Garrus said. "The vids mentioned that for humans a ring made a relationship official. I held onto it until after the battle. I thought that might somehow guarantee she came back."

Hannah felt her eyes misting slightly. "Well she has come back."

Garrus' eyes shifted, looking into the med bay windows. "Yes, but in what form? She's hurt, physically, mentally. How do you come back the same when you've faced all this death and carnage and pain?"

Hannah read in Garrus' eyes a love and compassion she'd seen before: in her own husband's face. Garrus' love was genuine. She reached up and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at her. "She'll make it. She won't let this destroy her. It will make her better, stronger, wiser. In life, you only have two choices: you keep going or you give up. Shepards don't give up." Hannah knew she spoke to herself as much as Garrus, trying to convince herself Jane would surmount the ugly circumstances foisted upon her.

Garrus bobbed his head. "I see where Shepard gets her strength from."

A short cough sounded behind them. Hannah turned to see a doctor. "Sorry to interrupt. She's awake. I don't want to keep her out of sedation for long and we don't want to crowd her. One of you may see her."

Hannah felt a hand on the small of her back push her forward. "Go see her," Garrus insisted. Hannah mouthed a silent thank you and followed the doctor into the med bay.

* * *

When the doctor pulled back the curtains surrounding Jane's bed, Hannah swallowed a hard knot in her throat and fought the impulse to throw herself onto her daughter. Jane sat propped up in the bed, covered in bandages and tubes. What wasn't covered boasted multiple cuts and bruises. Yet her eyes were alive, dull, but alive nonetheless, staring at her mother.

"They're gone? Really?" Jane spoke in a strained, harsh whisper.

Hannah nodded. "Yes, gone."

Jane clenched her teeth. "They had to die. They'd taken so much from us…from me. Kaidan, Thane, Legion…Anderson." Tears appeared in Jane's eyes. Hannah's heart broke. Her daughter had won and yet lost. She'd lost her friends, people she loved. Like Hannah, she'd pushed through, never having the luxury of time to think about all that had been taken from her. But now that it was all over, the grief was killing her. Jane's tears spilled over and ran down her face. She tried to raise a hand to brush them away, but groaned as she did so. Hannah rushed to her side and used her own hands, wiping at her daughter's cheeks.

"I know, I know," Hannah said, her own emotion breaking through. The Reapers had taken her ship, her crew, Toureau and Jane more than once. Hannah and Jane had been deeply wounded by the Reapers, their destruction leaving two broken women in their wake torn apart by loss. Hannah felt her own tears trickle down her face. She leaned over and embraced Jane tenderly, pausing momentarily to kiss her daughter on the forehead. She gulped and trembled holding Jane tightly, then spoke through her crying. "But we have each other. We didn't lose each other."

She felt Jane's body shake, racked by deep weeping. _How long_, Hannah wondered, _will it take us to recover? How long to defeat the war against our own mourning?_


	41. Grandmother

Hannah sat quietly next to Jane, reading over her data pad. It had been two weeks since Jane had been found and brought to Steven's ship. Her body was slowly healing; her mind continued to torment her. She hadn't yet been able to sleep without medication. Nightmares tortured her at every turn if she attempted to rest unaided. Hannah wished she could somehow reach inside Jane's mind and excise her horrific experiences. Her daughter deserved to relax in peace. Hannah feared it would take a very long time for Jane to ever be Jane again.

Hannah herself had wrested control over her own wounded experiences. Weeping with Jane in her arms secured a band aid over her memories of the Orizaba and Toureau. She covered them for the sake of her daughter. They were still there and would no doubt show themselves again, but for the time being, they hurt little. As such, she had finally gotten the sleep she desperately needed. Jane on the other hand…Hannah stared at her sleeping daughter. Jane had seen far more and suffered far more. It might take a lifetime for her to ever regain a normal existence.

Reporters and various diplomats had tried to get in to see Jane, but Steven was diligently protecting his newest Admiral, blocking everyone from access to her. Jane had been promoted the moment she had been found to a full Admiral. The galaxy hailed her as their savior. Details hadn't yet emerged concerning what had happened on the Citadel. Jane hadn't been willing to discuss it, stating simply that she'd been offered choices and she'd chosen to destroy the Reapers. What other choice she'd had remained unstated for now. Jane seemed afraid to even touch her experiences of the last few years. Hannah obliged, making small talk and never pressing Jane to open up. Her daughter was liked an exposed nerve right now; even the tiniest push hurt deeply.

Hannah looked up when a now familiar figure entered the room. "Still asleep," the turian stated. Hannah nodded. Garrus had been by Jane's side the entire two weeks. She'd come to appreciate and respect him. Even though she'd seen true love in his eyes, Hannah still hadn't been entirely comfortable in the beginning with a turian as her potential son-in-law. It wasn't that she hated turians. It was that whenever she'd imagined Jane with someone he had always been human. She'd conceived of a tall, handsome soldier with a short haircut and friendly parents living on Earth or a human colony. She'd never thought that she'd be mother-in-law to a tall turian with mandibles and blue face tattoos. It took some getting used to the idea.

Actually, Hannah found Jane's pairing with Garrus quite poetic. Humanity and the turians had started out at odds. Daniel had learned to see aliens as real "people" early on. He'd infused Jane with the idea that aliens and humans weren't really that different at the core. They all had the same aspirations and weaknesses. For that reason, they could learn to get along, to understand each other. It made sense that Jane would see beyond appearance to the inner heart of the aliens she met. She must have seen something commendable in Garrus that drew her to him.

Hannah watched Garrus settle himself down in a seat next to Jane's bed on the other side. They hadn't spoken much over the last two weeks, just small talk. They were in the uncomfortable time of getting to know each other. Hannah sensed lingering fear in Garrus of alienating his soon-to-be mother-in-law. Still, Hannah had learned Garrus had a father and sister that had fled Palaven when it had been attacked by Reapers. He had heard from them and they were safely on Digeris, another turian colony. Garrus didn't mention his mother and Hannah didn't want to pry, not wanting to cause any more discomfort to Garrus than necessary. Hannah _had_ ventured to inquire into the mission Jane had undertaken to raise the support the Alliance needed to take back Earth. Garrus had filled her in on the series of events that had once again taken Jane from one end of the galaxy to the other. They'd fought Cerberus and Reapers along the way and lost crewmates. Those deaths weighed heavier on Jane's mind than anything else.

Garrus reached over and stroked Jane's arm tenderly. Jane didn't stir. The sleeping aids she'd been given did their job well. Hannah smiled inwardly. She'd come to respect Garrus because she'd seen how he interacted with Jane. Jane would need months of physical therapy. She'd already begun recouping and Garrus supported her every step of the way. Hannah observed how gingerly he held her as she began to walk and move again. He never let her give in, no matter how tired she was, yet he did so with a firm gentleness. Garrus' actions proclaimed to Hannah that he was completely committed to Jane, even if her personality wasn't back to its former strength.

Hannah heard a rustle at the door and turned to see Steven approaching the foot of Jane's bed. "How is she?" he asked.

"Same," Hannah said, turning off her data pad.

"I'd like to talk to both of you privately for a moment."

Hannah flicked her eyes to Garrus and then back to Steven. "Alright."

Hannah stood and walked into the med bay lounge, followed by Garrus. Steven turned to face them. "I can't keep Jane on my ship much longer."

Garrus' mandibles fluttered. "Why?"

"I'm getting more and more pressure to let people see her. The council knows she's a powerful symbol of restoration. They claim the galaxy needs to have access to its heroine."

A council had been hastily pulled together from the various races who participated in the final Reaper battle, an attempt to establish some kind of order as soon as possible. Talks were in the works to start afresh, creating a whole new entity that provided a way for _every_ race to have a voice in the running of the galaxy. It only seemed fair considering all had paid a price to defeat the Reapers.

Steven spoke on. "I'm afraid if I don't move her, they'll force themselves on board to see her. And they'll bring reporters."

Hannah let a frustrated breath escape her mouth. "Don't they know she's hurt? That she can't see them now?"

"They don't see it that way," Steven explained, rubbing his temples with a thumb and forefinger. Hannah could only imagine the arguments he must have had over Jane. "They think humanity just wants to keep Shepard all to itself. The reporters only want a story, some kind of explanation of what happened."

"Well they won't get it until she's ready," Garrus' asserted, harsh and defensive.

"Look, I have an idea," Steven assured, holding his hand up to stay any further anger from Garrus. "I don't want her hounded any more than you do. I want her to record a speech."

"She's not going to be able to…" Hannah began to disagree, but was interrupted when Steven spoke on.

"It doesn't have to be complex. A short speech congratulating the allied races on their victory, stating the choice she made on the Citadel and her hope that the races will come together to restore what was lost. I've already written most of it for her. All she has to do is agree to make the recording. I give it to the Council and they can play it wherever they go. Then, you," here Steven pointed to Garrus, "take her back to the Normandy and hide her away on Sur'Kesh."

"Why Sur'Kesh?" Garrus asked.

"It's not that far from her home system, close to the Alliance, and compared to other planets, not nearly as damaged by the Reapers. I've already contacted Major Kirrahe. He's arranging for Jane's transport as we speak."

"But the Dalatrass…" Garrus began to protest.

"Is a non-issue," Steven insisted. "She fled Sur'Kesh. Where she's hiding, no one at present knows. I doubt she'll want to show her face any time soon, considering her actions could have lost us the krogan as an asset in the final battle."

Hannah didn't know much about what had happened with the krogan, save that the genophage had been cured with Jane's help. This event brought the krogan to the side of the allies to take Earth. Apparently, the Dalatrass had been against this development.

"Besides," Steven went on, "I trust Kirrahe. He'll protect her."

"_I'll_ protect Shepard," Garrus said, drawing to his full height.

"Of course, you'll go along and it's your choice to stay with her," Steven agreed.

"I'll go, too," Hannah declared.

"About that…" Steven said, his voice hesitant.

"You're not going to ask me to abandon her?" Hannah asked, flabbergasted.

"Hannah, to tell you the truth, the Alliance is in a mess. Earth is mostly destroyed, people are starving to death, soldiers have lost peers and leaders. The Alliance needs you now more than ever."

Hannah's angry retort caught in her throat. She had made a vow to the Alliance, to serve it all times and at all costs. She'd done that her entire life. She remembered warning Jane once that to sign on with the Alliance was to grant them control over your life. You lost the freedom to do whatever you wanted. When she'd taken that vow, she hadn't been married nor had a child. It had been so much easier to give over her loyalty when nothing personally was at stake.

"Don't make me choose between Jane and the Alliance," Hannah pleaded.

Steven put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to do this to you. But out of all the leadership we have left, you're near the top. Our parliament is dead; Arcturus doesn't exist. It's to the military humanity's looking. I won't order you to stay, but I'm asking you as an officer _and_ a friend."

"I'll take care of Shepard," Garrus said, looking to Hannah. "You won't need to worry. I won't let anyone get to her."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Hannah muttered. Jane was hurt mentally. She'd need someone to help her wade through the pain. Hannah could walk with her down the path.

"You're worried about her mental stability," Garrus intuited.

Hannah nodded, surprised the turian read her mind.

"Neither of you need to worry," Steven contended. "I've already asked a human counselor to come along. She's good at her job. She can help Jane."

Hannah bit her lip. Jane was so far gone, even Steven had figured out she needed mental help. He'd seen to all the details. Everything he said made perfect sense…and she hated him for it.

"I'll stay," she mumbled, her heart breaking. She would leave Jane behind…again. What else could she do? Jane had given every part of herself to save humanity. Hannah couldn't let it dissolve into chaos now.

* * *

Hannah enveloped Jane in a tight, but careful, hug. Jane returned it, though not as tightly. She was still quite weak. Garrus stood next to her, supporting her with an arm around her waist. Hannah pulled back and reached up to Jane's face, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm really sorry I'm not coming."

"That's the third time you've apologized," Jane stated, a slight smile playing on her lips. Hannah was pleased to see her smile. She hadn't smiled much at all since she'd been found. For the most part, she maintained a shell-shocked look, like a soldier that had seen too much to handle.

"I can't help apologizing," Hannah answered. "Not going with you feels all wrong."

"It's not wrong, mom. It's what you need to do. I don't resent your staying. I know when the Alliance calls, you have to answer, trust me."

Hannah nodded. Jane knew better than anyone else.

"Besides," Jane went on, "I have Garrus."

Garrus tightened his grip on her waist and fixed her with a loving gaze. Hannah smiled. "Yes. You've made a good choice, Jane."

Garrus cocked his head and Jane stared at her warily. "You truly approve?"

"Why wouldn't I? I figure your dad is looking down on you both, proud to see his daughter an example of how the galaxy can get along, especially with those who were once enemies."

Garrus visibly relaxed. "I wondered what you were thinking about me the last two weeks. Glad to hear it was positive."

Hannah eyed Garrus good-naturedly. "I didn't exactly imagine Jane choosing a turian for my son-in-law, but race doesn't really matter, does it? The point is Jane's chosen someone with a good heart."

"Thank you, mom," Hannah heard Jane's trembling voice. Turning her attention to her daughter, she found tears in her eyes. Jane cried so much easier these days, touched by even the smallest things.

"Take care of each other," Hannah said, indicating her final good-bye and stepping back from the couple.

Garrus helped Jane board the shuttle that would take them to Major Kirrahe's ship. Hannah expected the door to then close, but Garrus returned, pacing quickly up to her. He stopped in front of her, rubbing his neck. "I'll make sure she keeps in touch with you. We'll try to call as often as we can."

"Thank you," Hannah replied. Her eyes met Garrus'. There was now one other person in the world who loved Jane as much as she did. She knew Garrus Vakairian would protect Jane with his life.

Garrus coughed, not seeming to know what else to say. Hannah recognized that he'd come back in appreciation of her acceptance.

"Go, Garrus. Make sure she heals and comes out of this better than she was."

Garrus bobbed his head. "Definitely. She's done so much for me, I _won't_ let her down now." He turned on his heel and entered the shuttle.

Hannah left the bay and watched through the window as the shuttle took to space, already anticipating the first call she'd get from Jane when she landed on Sur'Kesh and thankful that Jane had a partner by her side whose heart was completely committed to her.

* * *

When Hannah returned to the Menari, she felt terribly lonely. When she and Jane were together, she always felt more relaxed and comfortable. Whenever they parted, all that was warm and homey seemed to leave with Jane.

So when Hannah stepped onto the bridge and heard a familiar voice, she started for a moment, her heart soaring. It was Jane's voice. But since she'd seen Jane set out for Sur'Kesh, she realized quickly that Jane wasn't on her ship. The message Jane had recorded for Steven before she left was playing on several of the screens on the bridge. Hannah stared at her daughter's recording as it played back, just as amazed now as she had been when Jane had made it, admiring how easily Jane masked her pain with the trappings of duty.

"Destroying the Reapers has given our galaxy a chance to be better than we were before," Jane was saying. "Our sacrifices must not have been in vain. We cannot let the Reapers win even after they are gone. We must live as one, a united galaxy. We will restore our homes. They will become symbols of the resilience of our races. We will make the Citadel the base of a new Council, a Council devoted to the needs of _all_ its members. Let us spread our victory from planet to planet, cultivating the strength of our unity in each race as we lay aside old grudges and make enemies friends. Never forget what it has taken to bring us to this point. It has taken all the races to work together as a whole entity. Only by working together will we restore what was lost. Let us never doubt that we _will_ claim this galaxy back as ours!"

As Jane faded and the recording ended, the crew of the Menari erupted with cheers of agreement and a smattering of clapping. Hannah looked around at the faces, from so many different races and yet already one on the Menari. Here she saw in miniature form what Jane wanted for the future. Her heart felt encouraged. They could do it. If they worked hard at it, it would happen. They would be united and heaven help anyone who thought they could take over the galaxy ever again.

* * *

Several weeks passed. Hannah poured herself into the tasks Steven assigned to her. She only stayed on the Menari one more week until Steven assigned her to a new ship, the Lhotse. Three dreadnoughts had been in the process of being built when the Reapers had attacked. They had been finished in a hurry to bolster what was left of the Alliance fleets. Hannah bade good-bye to Lucas and Keta, promising to keep in touch as she was able. She proceeded to take control of the Lhotse, the familiarity of heading a dreadnought both comforting and painful at the same time: comforting in that she easily fell back into the mode of work, but painful in that every part of the ship reminded her of the Orizaba and the crew she had lost. At times, as she walked the Lhotse, she could swear ghosts from the Orizaba stalked its corridors as she thought she spied this or that crew member out of the corner of her eye. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but that fact didn't stop her from considering what she could have done differently to spare all those lives. Fortunately for Hannah, regret, although heavy in her mind, couldn't be entertained for long. She had her hands full, carting different council members to the Citadel, ferrying refugees to and from Earth, defeating bands of pirates whose greed knew no bounds as they moved in on the vulnerable Earth.

After a couple months of going back to work, Hannah had learned what had happened to most of the people she knew. Her old Admiral, Novikov, _had _been killed at Arcturus, the savior of the Orizaba if but for a few seconds. Her old captain, Maddock, was alive. He'd been instrumental in fighting back the Reapers in Vancouver. Her heart broke, however, when she finally was able to reach him and he informed her that Lourdes had perished, lost in a Reaper attack. Jules had gone missing during the fighting and Maddock had declared his intent to find his son if it took the rest of his lifetime. She had wished she could help him in his search, but her time was spoken for. The Menari had gone back to batarian space as batarin refugees flooded back to the area, looking for a place to call home, a way to rebuild their race. Hannah heard from Keta that she was helping to bring new life to her people, Lucas by her side. Balak had died in the battle for Earth, a hero to his people, having taken down two Reapers with his batarians. How ironic, Hannah thought, considering all the awful things he had done that he would be remembered as a hero. Millions had died on the Citadel. After all rescue efforts were halted, only about a dozen had been recovered alive. Among the dead were Charles Saracino, Giovanna Moretti and Dominic Osoba. Hannah had also found out that Ernesto Zabaleta was still alive, having joined the rebel forces in London and for his actions in helping Earth was being reinstated to the Alliance.

Of all the people Hannah cared about, besides Jane, she cared about her mother most. She'd been relieved when she'd finally found her mother's name on a list of survivors from Sault Sainte Marie. She'd even reached her mother and been able to talk briefly and learn that her hometown had also survived the onslaught as the Reapers had concentrated on major cities to exclusion of all else. Her mother was shocked to hear of Jane's engagement to an alien and expressed skepticism. Hannah tried to explain, but also realized her mother, having no personal interaction with the wider galaxy except through the Reapers, could be forgiven for cautious fear.

Hannah kept in constant contact with Jane. Kirrahe had set her and Garrus up in a safe house with all the comforts he could manage to find her. She should have been relaxed, but every time Hannah talked to her any sense of happiness was a façade. Jane still spent most of her days in counseling and on medication at night to sleep. If she didn't medicate, she found the nightmares overpowering. Not that Jane admitted this to her. It was Garrus that kept Hannah truly informed. He snuck her calls here and there, filling her in on the details. Hannah was grateful for his willingness to keep her in the loop. The more she interacted with Garrus, the more she liked him.

Hannah found her own emotions echoing the galaxy's—she was downhearted, yet not willing to give in. The devastation the Reapers had wrought on all inhabited planets scarred everyone that saw the films of destruction. Batarian colonies had been leveled, hardly anything left at all. Palaven had taken a hard hit, 90% of it reduced to rubble. Thessia's beauty had turned to ugliness, its ancient architecture now only broken testaments to the thoroughness of the Reapers. Every planet had experienced some level of destruction. The pain of seeing their homes destroyed had sent the galaxy into a state of perpetual mourning. Still, every race pledged to rebuild and become stronger than before.

For her part, Hannah found herself interacting with aliens more than she ever had as they combined efforts on various missions. This was a change she liked, even if it had taken something devastating to get her here. But if she had taken the time to assess her own mental state, she would have been forced to admit that she wasn't up to par by far. She wasn't despairing, but she wasn't living. She felt like a dead soul making her way through a dark valley, never getting a glimpse of the light at the other end. She couldn't help but wonder some days if it wouldn't have been better to die and be with Daniel than live with the horror the Reapers had wrought. She missed Daniel intensely these days. She could have weathered it all so much better with him by her side.

* * *

_One Year Later_

Hannah fingered the rocket necklace she had worn ever since Daniel died. She stared at herself in the mirror in her quarters. Wrinkles feathered outward from the corners of her eyes. Her red hair was tinged with grey. Today was her birthday. She was now fifty-six, only middle-aged by the current lifespan of humans. So why did she already feel she had lived far too long?

Things were better—order had returned to the galaxy. A new ruling body had come together over the last year: the United Intergalactic Alliance. Its members were from all the planets. It had its share of squabbles and disagreements, but at least every race's voice was now heard. Planets were rebuilding. Actually, the resilience of the races was impressive. Time, it seemed, healed all wounds.

Hannah sighed as she pondered her image. _Some_ wounds healed. She still dealt with the pain of the losses during the Reaper War. So did Jane. Hannah just kept hanging in there, working to restore humanity, hoping that a day would come when she would wake and find the Reapers weren't the first thought to cross her mind.

"Admiral?" she heard a voice in her ear, her communications officer, Heinberger.

"Yes?" she answered the stoic, feminine voice.

"I have your daughter on vid comm."

Hannah smiled. Of course, Jane had remembered what day it was. At least talking to Jane would infuse some happiness into her day. "I'll take the call in my quarters."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hannah walked over to her desk, then sat down and punched several buttons. Jane appeared to her right, standing tall and oddly, smiling. Really smiling. A broad happy smile Hannah hadn't seen in a very long time. The last time she'd seen that look was after Jane's wedding. She and Garrus had tied the knot on Sur'Kesh eleven months back, with only Major Kirrahe as a witness and an authorized Salarian officiating. Jane had called Hannah to let her know she was now a married woman. She'd been afraid Hannah would be upset that she'd gone ahead with a wedding without her in attendance, but Hannah couldn't very well get angry when her own marriage had been arranged pretty much spur of the moment. Jane explained she and Garrus didn't want to waste any more time, ready to formally say good-bye to singleness and begin their new lives together. Hannah wondered now why Jane was smiling so freely; she didn't think it was just her birthday that produced the expression on Jane's face.

"Hey, mom," Jane exclaimed. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Hannah acknowledged her greeting, swiveling in her chair to face Jane and leaning back, crossing her legs.

"Doing anything special?"

"I suppose you could call a lobster dinner special," Hannah conceded.

"How did you manage that?" Jane asked. Earth's economy was still recovering; trade into far space only provided essential nutrients as luxuries were cost prohibitive.

"Crew managed to get it for me. I'm not supposed to know about it, but Melton, our cook, accidentally let it slip. I'm going to pretend I'm surprised at dinner mess."

"Wish I could have sent you something," Jane spoke apologetically.

Hannah waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Talking to you is good enough for me."

"I might actually have a gift for you, but it won't be ready for several months." Jane grinned mischievously.

Hannah knit her brow. "What's up?"

"First thing's first. I need your advice." Jane's face sobered. "Hackett called me up. He has a proposition, a job."

Hannah cocked her head. What had Steven tried to rope Jane into now? And how dangerous was it? "What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's actually quite normal. There are a lot of refugees that still have no home. Their planets are uninhabitable and they don't want to face the daunting task of rebuilding. The Council has decided to try an experiment. They want to start a colony on an uninhabited moon that will be open to anyone, a place where multiple species can live together in peace. It will be considered free space, owned by no race in particular."

Jane paused and Hannah filled in the silent gap. "O-kay. How does this concern _you_?"

"Hackett's asked me, with the Council's urging, to head up the colony, administrate it."

Hannah breathed out slowly. Jane had distinguished herself as a woman of action, not an administrator. But maybe this is what her depressed daughter really needed—to do something calm and mundane. "And…"

"I don't know if I should do it," Jane said, crossing her arms over her chest uncomfortably. "I don't feel…put together yet. I still dream a lot and it's not good. I just…I'm tired, mom."

Hannah nodded, understanding Jane's trepidation. "I hear you. But then, maybe this is just what you need. A chance to help others, to do something positive. Maybe it will help you to see the good that's happening out here, aliens all working together. You can be a part of it."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "To be honest, it _is_ tempting. Garrus and I could get away and have our own life, put the horrors behind us and make a life of our own."

"I think you know your answer."

"Yeah, but am I up to the task?" Hannah read worry in Jane's eyes.

"You'll be able to handle it. Garrus will be by your side."

Jane smiled softly. "Hackett has plans for him, too. Security chief for the new colony."

"Do it, Jane," Hannah spoke definitively. "Go make a life for yourself. The Alliance Navy has taken enough from you. You deserve a break."

Jane sighed. "Mom, to be honest, I've been done with the navy since the war ended. I've paid my dues. I want to focus on my family." At the word "family," Jane once again smiled secretly.

"What are you hinting at?" Hannah asked.

"Well, this is kind of hard to talk about," Jane said, shifting back and forth on her feet nervously. "I don't want you to freak out when I tell you what we're going to try to do."

Hannah tilted her head. "I'll try."

"I had this salarian crew member on the Normandy, Mordin, a scientist…He died curing the genophage." Jane's eyes misted slightly.

"I'm sorry," Hannah intoned genuinely.

"Thanks…Anyway, he was always experimenting, coming up with these outlandish ideas. He was incredibly smart and talented. When we got to Sur'Kesh, we decided to give his research to his people thinking maybe they could use it. We figured they had the right to his work." Jane paused here.

"And what did they find?"

"Well, Garrus and I, we've talked about children. We've joked about adopting a krogan."

Hannah giggled.

"I know. Crazy idea, right?" Jane laughed. "But…I don't know, mom. We just really want a child that's both of us, a child that joins turian and human, Shepard and Vakarian."

Hannah's mouth fell open. "Are you saying…"

"Mordin had done this research on interspecies genetic reproduction."

"But…but…it can't be done."

"Maybe it can. There's a group of scientists here that think they can actually use his research and make it happen. We'd be the first to try it on."

"But how…" Hannah stammered, her voice faltering.

"I won't pretend to be able to understand all the science behind the theories. It won't exactly be a fifty-fifty joining of our DNA. They'll have to use one of us as a base, Garrus they say. Turians are hardier than humans so the child would have more probability of surviving. They'd use Garrus' DNA and then adapt and manipulate mine to fit where they could. They have to make sure any changes they make won't cause instability." Jane paused again. "So…I wanted you to know we're going to give it a go."

Hannah shook her head, trying to believe what Jane was telling her. "But what if it doesn't work? This is life you're talking about Jane. A living being."

"Every other doctor has told us it won't work and not to do it," Jane admitted, her face falling. "But I thought you'd support us."

Hannah grimaced. "I…I do trust you, Jane."

"I need this, mom," Jane said, pleading intensely for her mother's acceptance. "I need to believe this can really happen. This is the only hope I've got right now."

Hannah heard the urgency in Jane's voice. For a year, her daughter had struggled facing her own demons, memories of pain, choices she'd made that had cost lives, times she'd been forced to throw friends to the wind so others could live. Her experiences tormented her daily. Now, here was a hope she thought she'd never have, a child born of both herself and her own true love. "I'll support you every step of the way," Hannah spoke decisively.

Jane sighed with relief. "Good. Cause I want you to be there when our child comes out."

"Of where?" Hannah asked warily.

Jane laughed quietly. "I can't carry her. She'll be grown in a tank until she can live outside it."

"She?"

"Well, they did ask us if we wanted a certain gender and we decided on a girl. We figure we should continue the line of strong Shepard females."

Hannah grinned. "I'm okay with that."

Jane looked to the side, then back to Hannah. "I have to go. Garrus needs me."

"Alright. I love you, kiddo."

"You, too, mom. I'll keep you informed where we are in the process, both colony and baby alike."

"Thanks."

"Bye."

"Bye." Jane's image flickered out. Hannah turned back to her desk and sat with her chin in her hand. If things really did work out, she'd have a turian-human grandchild. It was one thing to accept a turian son-in-law. A turian-human hybrid granddaughter? She could hardly wrap her mind around that one.

* * *

_Seven Months Later_

Hannah stood nervously next to Jane and Garrus. She'd easily wiggled leave out of Steven and made it to Sur'Kesh on time. Beyond everyone's expectations, the experiment to create a child from the DNA of both Jane and Garrus had been a success—at least, so far. The baby had grown in a tank, closely monitored by the salarian scientists who had every reason to want everything to go right. Not only did they feel this act honored their fallen hero, Mordin, but they saw it as their gift to the savior of the galaxy, Jane Shepard.

The passing months hadn't enhanced Hannah's ability to comprehend what was taking place. Even as she stood here staring at the tank, she couldn't believe what was about to be lifted out of it. Jane, however, was having no trouble at all. In fact, this whole process had brought Jane back as close to her former self as she could come. She could tell her daughter was ready to be a mother. This baby had brought joy back into Jane's soul.

Hannah peeked at Jane and Garrus out of the corner of her eye. Jane was looking up at Garrus, smiling, excited. Garrus was his usual reserved self, but Hannah had learned to read his eyes rather than his body language. He was just as excited, anticipating seeing his child for the first time.

Hannah turned her attention back to the salarians, all dressed in white suits. They had already started the process, the tank ready to be opened. As the lid slipped back, Jane leaned forward, eager to glimpse her daughter. A salarian lifted the baby out, suctioning its nose and mouth. It began to cry strongly, mewling as it met the wider world. Hannah gazed on in amazement as the salarian wiped the baby down, wrapped her in a warm blanket and walked over, placing her in Jane's arms. Jane held the child gingerly and Hannah perceived tears in her eyes. Garrus wrapped his arm around Jane's shoulders and peered down at his child with pride.

"Welcome to the world, Terra Eve," Jane whispered. Jane had already told Hannah the name they had chosen. Terra, referring to Earth, the place they had won the battle against the Reapers, and Eve, a name to honor a krogan friend of Jane's and because their daughter was the first of her kind.

After a time, Jane turned to Hannah. "Do you want to hold her?"

Hannah nodded, not having the words to respond. As Jane passed the bundle over to her, she gazed at the baby in awe. She held Terra, rocking her gently in her arms. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. For the most part, Terra was turian. She had mandibles, the cowl, the spurs on her legs. But it was what she sported on the top of her head that floored Hannah. Peach fuzz adorned the top of her head, fuzz that would eventually grow into hair.

"She has hair…and it's red," Hannah whispered.

"It was one of my genetic characteristics they could work in," Jane explained, reaching out and rubbing the baby's head tenderly. "Her skin's also softer. She won't be able to withstand the radiation on Palaven." But that didn't matter, Hannah knew. Jane had accepted the job to run the new colony.

Hannah cooed as she continued to rock the baby. Terra stared up at her, blinking her newly opened eyes. Her crying ceased as she grew comfortable in Hannah's arms.

"She likes you," Jane smiled.

Hannah marveled. Why had she been worried she wouldn't be able to accept this child? It didn't matter that she was turian and human. It didn't matter that she didn't look like the grandchild Hannah always thought she would have. In that moment, grandmother and granddaughter bonded. Love burgeoned in her heart for the baby in her arms. And for the first time in almost two years, Hannah felt herself come to life again.


	42. Destiny

Author's Note: This chapter falls after my other fic, "Family Reunion." If you want to read more about Hannah and Cadmus, you are welcome to read it, but it is not necessary to read to understand this chapter.

* * *

Hannah sighed in her seat, listening to another ambassador drone on and on. It was her own fault she was in this position, forced to sit through one boring speech after another. After all, she'd been the cause of Cadmus' accident. The least she could do was help him out now that his daughter had gone back to Palaven.

She spied Cadmus staring at her with her peripheral vision. She turned her head to him and he gave her a chastising look that demanded her silence. She smiled demurely and chuckled. Cadmus shook his head and fixed his attention back on the Drell ambassador. Hannah had met Cadmus only within the last week. When she'd arrived on Concilia to visit Jane, Garrus and Terra, Jane had surprised her with the news that Garrus' father and sister were coming by for a visit as well. She'd finally been able to meet the other side of the family.

At first, she and Cadmus, Garrus' father, had argued right off. She couldn't help it. Cadmus had the utmost respect for Jane's character, but not her methods. He'd openly criticized her joining Cerberus to stop the Reapers. Hannah had no choice but to come to her daughter's defense. However, to satisfy Jane, she'd played nice the rest of the time and actually come to enjoy Cadmus' presence. He was a stodgy, dutiful, utterly reserved turian—and maybe that was what she liked most because she could easily get a rise out of him. Over the week, she'd come to think he secretly liked her prodding at his stuffy ways. _He'd_ been the one who asked her to come to this Earthside conference with him, help him out. If he didn't like her being around, why would he ask her to come?

Hannah stifled another sigh, trying not to annoy Cadmus. Truth was, she liked being around Cadmus because he was as old as she was. They were from the same generation and they were both watching the younger set pass them by. Oh, they had a number of years left in them yet, but they came from a different time and place. Younger ones didn't have the hindsight they had. It was freeing to talk to someone who understood what it was like to grow old. Maybe that was what Cadmus appreciated in her, too—someone to commiserate with as age caught up with him.

The Drell ambassador made an introduction, transitioning to the next speaker, Cadmus Vakarian. Cadmus stood to take his place at the podium, ready to expound on the turian points of view regarding whatever pressing concerns currently occupied the ambassadors of the galaxy. He hobbled up the stairs on his forearm crutches. Hannah grimaced. She'd been the source of his broken toe. If she hadn't pushed her Aqua Racer so hard…Well, she had to let bygones be bygones. Cadmus didn't blame her, so why did she need to blame herself?

Hannah thought back. She'd always found it easy to berate herself over her mistakes and she'd made many of them. She even chastened herself for perceived mistakes, from not being able to rescue Daniel from the creature on Demeter to losing her ship to seeing Toureau sucked into space in the final Reaper battle. She hated her failures, even when she told herself she could have done nothing to prevent them. _Stop it, Hannah_, she chided herself. _Don't be a melancholy sap._ She had every reason to be grateful for life as it was now. Despite mistakes and pain and the stress of the last few years, she had become a happier, more relaxed person, closer to the care-free life she used to live in the old days.

As Cadmus delivered his carefully worded remarks, Hannah surreptitiously flipped on her data pad. She scanned through her e-mails. She was pleasantly surprised to see she'd received a message from Keta. She hadn't heard from the batarian in a couple months.

_Hannah, hi there! Sorry I haven't written in a while. Zavie keeps us busy these days. She's doing well. I attached a picture. Lucas says "hi." Actually, I do have an ulterior motive for writing you. I need to ask you again to talk to your Admiral friend. You know how hard it's been to rebuild my people's space. We're still not getting the requisitions promised from the Alliance. Our ambassador on the Citadel's done what he can, but we're pretty much being ignored. Great to be the dregs of the galaxy, isn't it? Thank you to the Hegemony for making batarians so very loved. Sorry for the rant. Let me know when you've talked to your friend. Keep in touch. Keta._

Poor Keta, Hannah thought. She _did_ have her work cut out for her. Batarians had always been regarded as a blight on the galaxy. Even though they'd participated in the last Reaper battle, prejudice against them hadn't entirely died down. Many old grudges still held firm.

Hannah pulled up the picture Keta had sent. It was of Lucas holding a small batarian child in his lap, Zavie, now over two years old, and reading her a book. Hannah's mind was thrown back years as the picture echoed one she'd loved of Daniel and Jane. She tabbed over to her photos. The first to pop up was her favorite, one of Jane holding Terra with Garrus standing right next to them. The backdrop was their new home, the colony Concilia, with its lush green and flowering plants. Terra was now nine months old, a strong child, growing quickly, soon to be as tall as her daddy if her turian genes held true. Hannah adored her granddaughter. Every leave she got she spent on Concilia where she basked in the precious moments of a new family. It was almost like getting to live the early days with Daniel and Jane all over again. Hannah drew her finger across the pad, perusing her pictures. She finally found the one she was looking for, an old picture of Daniel on the couch in their apartment on Mythos with Jane, probably around four years old, sitting next to him, rapt with attention on the book he was reading. Daniel had sent it to her when she'd been on one of her tours.

Hannah glanced up at the podium, but she didn't see Cadmus; she was lost in her own thoughts. Where had life taken her? As a child, she'd dreamed of space, a career amongst the stars as an aeronautical engineer. It turned out she'd been smart, but not enough to secure the job of her dreams. She'd settled for a life in the navy, finding a way to catapult herself into the sky. She morphed her dreams then, setting a new goal: to climb to the heights of the Alliance Navy and attain the rank of Admiral with all its rights and privileges. But that dream, too, had taken a hit when Jane was born. Daniel had done what he said; he'd taken the brunt of raising Jane, but Hannah hadn't been willing to give up on her daughter completely and as such missed opportunities for advancement by tying herself to Mythos. And then Daniel had left them and she once again put herself to the side for Jane, being the mother Jane needed desperately. Perhaps she should have been bitter, but what struck Hannah now was that she didn't resent her life's direction. She hadn't achieved her dreams, but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

The ambassadors began to clap heartily and Cadmus shuffled back down the steps, sitting next to her. "Did you record the speech?"

Hannah tapped at her omni-tool, halting the recording. "Got it."

Cadmus nodded once, turning his attention to the next speaker. Hannah leaned in close to him. "When do we get a break?"

"Soon," Cadmus whispered back, not looking at her.

Hannah sighed. How could Cadmus stand this? She'd never have made it as a politician. But he hadn't been one either until after the Reaper War. How did a cop become an ambassador so easily? How could he take the lack of inaction?

With a start, Hannah brought a hand to her mouth. Not just any cop, a C-Sec cop. A memory came sailing back to her. Long ago, her first visit to the Citadel…She sent a sideways glance to Cadmus, looking him up and down, confirming what she had just dredged up from the recesses of her mind.

* * *

Hannah pushed at her spaghetti with her fork. It wasn't bad really, but she wasn't hungry. She glanced up at Cadmus. "Do you like your…what's it called?"

Cadmus looked over at her, swallowing his latest bite before talking. "Lactuca." He chuckled and shook his head. "You humans wouldn't know good dextro food even if you _could_ eat it."

Hannah smiled. She wasn't insulted. She'd learned over the last week to roll with the punches where Cadmus was concerned.

"I've been thinking…" Hannah ventured, forcing a bite of spaghetti into her mouth.

"About?" Cadmus pushed back into his seat, focusing his analytical gaze on her.

"The past."

"Are you going to tell me another story about Admiral Shepard?"

Hannah couldn't help but smile broadly. She supposed she'd talked Jane up to Cadmus a little too much, but she'd wanted him to really understand her daughter. "No. How about one about you?"

Cadmus tilted his head. "Me?"

"I remembered something. I've seen you before."

"I thought all turians looked alike to you humans."

Hannah bit back a smile. Now he was bating her by teasing her. "Usually. But it's not just your appearance, it's your name."

"Cadmus?"

"Vakarian. I saw you the first time I went to the Citadel."

Cadmus now widened his eyes in interest. "When was that?"

"Oh, about twenty-five years ago now."

Cadmus narrowed his eyes. "Are you playing with me again?"

"No, I did see you," Hannah insisted, placing her fork down on her plate and leaning back in her chair. "I was standing at a balcony and you were investigating something. A human had made a complaint and you blew it off because humans were emotionally unstable. You called someone and ended the call with your surname."

Cadmus rubbed his chin. "I've _never_ blown off a complaint."

"It sounded like…"

"Did you follow me in my investigation?"

"No, but…"

"Then how do you know?"

Hannah sighed, knowing Cadmus had caught her. "I don't know."

Cadmus waved his hand in the air, dismissing the accusation he thought she was trying to make against him.

"That wasn't my point, though," Hannah went on, annoyed at the turian's arrogance.

"Then what _was_ your point?"

Hannah twisted her lips, thinking for a moment. "Do you believe in destiny?"

Cadmus' mouth opened in a turian smile. "Destiny is a human concept."

"Turians don't believe in destiny?"

"We make our own," Cadmus declared.

"From what I've read, ancient turians believed the spirits played a role in the outcome of their lives. No turians think that now?"

Now it was Cadmus' turn to look chagrined. He eyed Hannah in annoyance. "Long past."

"You don't think that some lives are tied together? That you're meant to meet some people?"

Cadmus didn't answer, but his mandibles twitched uncomfortably.

"Take my daughter and your son as examples. Maybe it was destiny that brought them together. I mean, we didn't even know each other when I first saw you and here are our children, married. But we were so close to each other. Don't you find that odd?"

"A chance meeting between an Alliance officer and a C-Sec cop on the Citadel wouldn't be unheard of," Cadmus asserted, stuffing a bite of lactuca in his mouth and chewing rapidly.

Hannah contemplated his answer. Simple coincidence. Maybe that's all it was. But then again…what if she hadn't met Daniel in middle school? What if she hadn't faced Daniel in that shooting match? What if they hadn't married and hadn't had Jane? And what if Daniel hadn't died? If Jane hadn't been born, would someone else have saved the galaxy? Or was this her destiny all along? _What if_, Hannah thought, _it was my destiny to birth the savior of the galaxy? To raise her and inspire her to join the Alliance?_ The galaxy had been saved because everything had fallen into the right place. Jane had been born, had chosen an Alliance career partially because of her father's death and because of her mother's example, had met the right people to pull together an unbeatable team. Everything that had happened in her life led to the defeat of the Reapers.

"What I think," Hannah spoke aloud, "Is that my plans mattered little in the course of my life. We think we're going to do one thing and then life throws us in a totally different direction. How much control do we really have? Maybe we're all bound by the destiny set out for us."

Cadmus stared at her and suddenly laughed. "That's what I like about you, Hannah Shepard. You think too much."

Hannah smiled. Actually, she hadn't waxed this eloquent in a long time. But as she and Cadmus had learned to get along, to appreciate the camaraderie that age brought them, she'd been willing to open up to him. There was something about his stoic way that made her feel she could count on his stability to be a counterweight to her complexity. She'd found someone who could converse with her again concerning philosophical matters; the last person she'd talked to in such a way was Daniel. Lucas had been a friend, but they'd never spent time delving into the meaning of the universe. Lucas just wasn't that type of guy.

"You don't talk enough. My thinking fills in the gaps," Hannah came back. She had to admit she did get too much fun out of bantering with Cadmus.

Cadmus sobered. "Perhaps," he conceded, to Hannah's surprise. He took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter if it was destiny. It happened. We deal with the outcome. But I take issue with your idea that we don't have much control. We have some control. We make choices and those choices matter, for good or for ill." Cadmus looked down suddenly, and Hannah sensed something he wasn't voicing, a regret of some kind.

"Well, whatever the case, our children have made quite a name for themselves, haven't they?"

"Indeed," Cadmus muttered, looking back up at her. "Children have to leave us. And we have to leave them. It's their turn to own the galaxy. Let's hope they treat it correctly."

Hannah pressed her lips together. Jane already had. So had Garrus. She and Cadmus had every reason to be proud. And whether Cadmus wanted to admit it or not, Hannah felt that this _was _destiny. She had done what she was supposed to do: raise and support the heroine of the galaxy. Her former dreams didn't matter one iota to her anymore. Who cared if she ever became an Admiral? Being the mother of Jane Shepard would always be good enough for her.

"What's your story, Cadmus?" Hannah asked suddenly. Where had life taken the turian in front of her? Where had he failed and triumphed?

Cadmus shook his head. "Why do humans always insist on asking personal questions? Eat your food."

As Cadmus concentrated on his lunch, Hannah picked up her fork, twisting the spaghetti around it and finally swallowing it. _I know one thing,_ she spoke inwardly, fingering the rocket at her neck, thoughts of destiny swirling in her mind. _When my time comes, Daniel, and I walk into that atrium above, I'm going to have one heck of a story to tell you and something tells me, you're going to relish every minute of it.  
_

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has followed and favorited this story! I appreciate your sticking with me through this long story. This is the longest fic I've ever written. I've loved every minute of it. When I wrote my fic "Family Reunion," I started to wonder about the character Hannah Shepard; who was this woman? How had she influenced the heroine of the galaxy? It was then I was inspired to delve into her past and give her a story. About in the middle of her story, I suddenly also started thinking about the parental influences on my other favorite character of the ME universe: Garrus Vakarian. Who was his father? What influence did he have on his son's life? Maybe it's being a new parent myself, but I have been drawn to these parental figures, wondering what their stories are. We always love the heroes, but know next to nothing about the people that had the most influence on their lives. Anyway, all that to say that my mind has now turned to Cadmus. I've uploaded a new story, "Live and Learn." If you have any interest in Cadmus at all, you're welcome to join me as I explore his past and relationship with his son. Once again, thanks for reading. it's been a blast!


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